BACKGROUND

The National Palace of Culture - an institution that inspires respect - completes 20 years since its establishment. And this is not a fact, which is worth mentioning only now when the Palace celebrates its anniversary. During its entire history, the National Palace of Culture has been recognised as the most dignified, the best organised and the largest space for Bulgarian and foreign art. In Bulgaria there is no other facility (and may be there won’t be any in the near future) that provides nearly unlimited possibilities for creative acts. Still, the concept of its creation implies the basic requirement - to integrate masterpieces from Bulgarian authors in the building. That is why, the whole interior decoration - fine and decorative arts, monumental sculpture and mural paintings - has turned into a natural museum of Bulgarian art greatest achievements since the last 2 decades. This has been the formal and representational Bulgarian culture of that time.

And what is it today?

THE PRESENT

MACRO VIDEO searches the answers of this question. The project presents eight of the best Bulgarian contemporary art authors. It happens within the frames of “Art Salon” - the most dignified annual cultural initiative of the National Palace of Culture.
MACRO VIDEO presents the real face of the fact that the latest Bulgarian art has already gained values to turn into museum worth. The taste of the young artists generation gradually finds its place in the building of the National Palace of Culture. New names and new vision - but once again they are of great artistic quality and once again they are presented in the Palace. The contemporary art establishes its identity through the high status of the institution, in which it is presented - like it used to be 20 years ago.

THE PROJECT

MACRO VIDEO presents a video art programme, in which 8 Bulgarian video artists are invited to participate. Each of them has already proven his/her interesting ideas and searches in this field. Besides, within the frames of the project, there will be screened a film for the National Palace of Culture, which will show moments from the brightest cultural events that have happened during the years in the Palace.

THE PROGRAMME

Each of the authors invited to take part in the project prepare an individual artwork related to the project’s idea within the frames of the “Art Salon”. Each artwork will be presented in a separate night from the entire programme.

THE SPACE

Provoked by the idea to “make alive” the building of the National Palace of Culture and the surrounding environment, the programme MACRO VIDEO will be screened on the west facade of the Palace (looking at “Vitosha” Blvd.). The large screening field (9x6 m.) will be directed in a way that will allow observation from outside - by the people who pass everyday by the Palace or the ones who have come especially to see the event. The large-scale image requires close ups of the vision. The specifics of the screening in public environment require dynamic vision, short story, direct message, all of which lead to analogy with the video clip stylistics. Thus, the contemporary video art will become “visible” for the mass viewer and have the opportunity to go out of the narrow frames of the galleries or screening halls.