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Biography 

 

Zara Alexandrova, born 1980 in Bulgaria, and based in Berlin, graduated with a master's degree in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia. Alexandrova's artistic practice is based on an aesthetic and sociocultural examination of the female body and the term femininity in the context of cultural heritage. With slightly ironic gestures, she is questioning patriarchal structures of understanding of the female body and its sexuality. Inspired by various sources like social media, pop culture and archaic symbols, her works challenge the perception of female roles and stereotypes. In her latest collaboration projects with Zoran Georgiev, she is searching for parallels between traditional folk art, contemporary art and pop culture, touching on subjects like national identity, populism, ethnic stereotypes and myths, the value of art and their impact on our perception of reality.

Zara Alexandrova has received several awards for her work, including Walter Koschatzky Art Award for Contemporary Drawing (2013) and the Gaudenz B.Ruf Award for New Bulgarian Art (2007). Nominated for the BAZA Award (2014). The artist has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions as: Subversives Design, NRW - Forum, Düsseldorf, DE (2022); Dimensions of Publicness, 24th Gabrovo Biennial of Humour and Satire in Art, Museum of Humour and Satire in Art, Gabrovo, BG (2019); XX Cerveira International Biennial, Vila Plana De Cerveira, PO (2018); Shifting Layers, Young Art at the Museum, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG (2017); Per Anhalter, Kunsthalle am Hamburger Platz, Berlin, DE (2016); Focus Bulgaria, Vienna contemporary, Vienna, AT (2015); Art For Change, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG (2015); International Women's Day, Artworks from the collection of Slava Nakovska and Nedko Solakov, ICA Gallery, Sofia, BG (2014); Love, Rayko Aleksiev Gallery, Sofia, BG (2012); QUI VIVE?, Moscow International Biennale for Young Art, Exhibition “Liberty/Freedom”, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, RU (2010).

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CV

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Born 1980 in Stara Zagora, BG

Lives & works in Berlin, DE

 
Education

 

2004  

MA in Fine Arts, National Academy of Arts- Sofia, BG

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2002 

BA in Fine Arts, National Academy of Arts- Sofia, BG

 
Awards

 

2014    

Nomination, BAZA Award for contemporary art

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2013

Nomination, Walter Koschatzky Art Award for Contemporary Drawing

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2009   

Gesellschafter ART.AWARD, Aktion Mensch und ART.FAIR 21

 

2007   

Award for Young Artists, Gaudenz B. Ruf Award

 

2003    

Grand Prize from the National competition for young Bulgarian artists organised by the International Foundation St. Cyril and St. Methodius

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Solo and DuoExhibitions

 

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2021

Scrolling Trough the News Feed, Bulgarian Culture Institute, Berlin, DE

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2020

Object F, Gallery Schöneweide, Berlin, DE

Recent Myths With Traditional Patternsdual show with Zoran Georgiev, GalleryGallery, Sofia, BG

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2019

Bite The Bullet, dual show with Zoran Georgiev, Art space WERK, Berlin, DE

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2018

Almost Real, dual show with Zoran Georgiev, Villa Blunk, Wriezen, DE

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2017    

Fresh Arrival, dual show with Zoran Georgiev, Xtro Ateliers, Berlin, DE

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2015

Family Alexandrovi, dual show with Alexandr Alexandrov, The Fridge, Sofia, City Gallery Pernik, BG

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2014     

You Take My Breath Away,  Taralezh Gallery, Veliko Tarnovo, BG

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2013   

Things I Can't Live Without , Hans Reh Gallery, Vienna, AT

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2010    

Forbidden, Sariev Gallery, Plovdiv, BG

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2004     

Documents, Meeting Point, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG

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Group Exhibitions (Selection)
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2024

JUMP - Artworks from the Darik Collection, Sofia Arsenal – Museum of Contemporary Art, Sofia, BG

Symptomatic / Asymptomatic, MAGMA Contemporary Art Space, Sfantu Gheorghe, RO

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2023

Dream Home, KO-OP Gallery, Sofia, BG

Virus Diary Biennial | Cryptic Lineages, Diptych Art Space and Atelier Silvia Trăistaru: Camera 30 | Atelierele Malmaison, Bucharest, RO

Virus Diary, Ost Andreas Festival, Kulturwerkstatt auf AEG, Nürnberg, DE

The Wrong Biennale 2023/2024, The Wrong Biennale, Alicante, ES

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2022

Digital Dictatorship, Rosengarten am Schlossberg, Graz, AT

Virus Diary, Romanian Cultural Institute in Vienna, AT

Virus Diary, Museum Banatului Montan, Resita, RO

Nuit blanche Heraklion, Kotsanas Museum, Heraklion, GR

Jurnal de virus, Casa Artelor, Timisoara, RO

Virus Diary, B5 Studio, Târgu MureÈ™, RO

PS ANTI | ANTE | PRO: Diary of Friends & Virus Diary, Auditorium (Aula) of the Braunschweig University of Art, Braunschweig, DE

Cologne Biennial 2022 - Virus Diary, The Cologne Biennial, Cologne, DE

Bulgarian-German Network Meeting, ROAM Art space, Berlin, DE

Virus Diary, Multicultural Center of Transylvania University of Brașov, RO

Occupy #3 Networks, Consulate General of Greece and Consulate General of France in New York, USA

Subversives Design, NRW - Forum, Düsseldorf, DE

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2021

Virus DiaryABM Confecciones, in Madrid, ES

Virus Diary, Black and White Biennial, Satu Mare Art Museum, RO

Virus Diary, Borderline Art Space, Iași, RO

Biennial exhibition of the 31st and 32nd session of the art residency in Galichnik, Mala Stanica - National Gallery of R.N.Macedonia, MK

10 + 1: Audio and Visual Codes of the National IdentityBulgarian Cultural Institute, Haus Wittgenstein, Vienna, AT

Brave New Earth: Looking Forward Through Memories, Verein Berliner Künstler, Berlin, DE

Liebe in den Zeiten von Corona, Fliesengalerie, Leipzig, DE

’Kleur Bekennen' (showing your colours), Art-space PLAY Room, Zaandam, NL

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2020

Souvenirs From The Future, ICA Gallery, Sofia, BG

Virus Diary, online exhibition, White Cuib Gallery, Cluj-Napoca, RO

Re_Define, curated by Michael Koch, Jochen Schlick und Illa Wingen, Atelierhof Kreuzberg, Berlin, DE

The Crown of The Corona, curated by Boris Kostadinov, online spaces of Artqol, Berlin, DE

#sarievselfisolation, Sariev Gallery, Plovdiv, BG

Witz Und Ironie, 43. Kunstpreis der Kulturstiftung der Sparkasse Karlsruhe, DE

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2019    

Taking Patriarchy Apart, organised by the Bulgarian feminist collective FemBunt and the Polish wom*n’s collective Dziewuchy Berlin, Club der polnischen Versager, Berlin DE

Contemporary Bulgarian Artists, curated by Zuzu Caratanse and Valeri Chakalov, Exhibition Hall “Constantin Brancusi”, Palace of the Parlament, Bucharest, RO

Thank You, Mr. Ruf!, curated by Vessela Nozharova, group exhibition in honour of the Swiss collector and Patron of Art Gaudenz B. Ruf, Credo Bonum Gallery, Sofia, BG

100% Female, curated by Jeroen Van Paassen, Grand or St. Laurens Church Alkmaar, NL

Words, Images, Places. 140th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Sofia as Capital, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG

Dimensions of Publicness, 24th Gabrovo Biennial of Humor and Satire in Art, Museum of Humor and Satire in Art, Gabrovo, BG

Queerness, Projektraum 145, Berlin, DE

Poetic of Image, National Autumn Exhibitions Plovdiv, BG

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2018 

Un_Becoming, SomoS art space, Berlin, DE

XX Cerveira International Biennial, Vila Plana De Cerveira, PO

Selfie Zeitgeist, curated by Dora Tarasidou, Strasse 55 Art space, Berlin, DE

Voyager, curated by Lukas Troberg and Vincent Rischer, Bar Babette, Berlin, DE

Soft Spaces, curated by Dora Tarasidou, Strasse 55 Art space, Berlin, DE

Trophy Hunters, curated by Sheena Malone, Kunstraum Dada Post, Berlin, DE

Fake, Krudebude Projektwohnung, Leipzig, DE

Join The Dots – Connect the Distances, Luciano Benetton Collection, curated by Claudio Scoretti and Irina Ungureanu, Salone Degli Incanti, Trieste, IT

Birth_To Animate, curated by Doris Jauk-Hinz, virtual exhibition at Vaginamuseum, AT

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2017    

Shifting Layers, Young Art at the Museum, curated by Vladiya Mihaylova, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG

A Show Without A Title But In The Holiday Spirit, ICA-Sofia - The Institute of Contemporary Art, Sofia, BG

The Debate on Reality, curated by Stanislav Pamukchiev, Peter Tsanev and Kiril Vasilev, UBA Gallery, Sofia, BG 

Fragmented Stories, Verein Berliner Künstler, Berlin, DE 

World Attraction, curated by Dan Perjovschi, Sandwich art space, Bucharest, RO

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2016

Satt, 48 Stunden Neuköln, AKI Berlin, DE

Per Anhalter, curated by Julia Brodauf, Kunsthalle am Hamburger Platz, Berlin, DE

Garbage In/Garbage Out, curated by Sophia Vonier, Periscope Gallery, Salzburg, AT

 

2015

Focus Bulgaria, Vienna contemporary, Vienna, AT 

Red Carpet Art Award - Young Art Festival, Künstlerhaus, Vienna, AT 

My Body My Rights, Fantom Gallery, Berlin, DE

Map of The New Art, Luciano Benetton Collection, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, IT

Art For Change 1985-2015, curated by Maria Vassileva, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG

Caution: Wet Paint!, curated by Maria Vassileva, Daniela Radeva and Vladiya Mihaylova, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG

What You See?, curated by Maria Vassileva and Daniela Radeva, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG

Image and Likeness, curated by Nadia Timova, National Gallery of Art, Sofia, BG 

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2014    

Prehod For Sale, curated by Iara Boubnova, ICA Gallery, Sofia, BG

Baza Award for contemporary art - nominees, curated by Daniela Radeva, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG

Where Is The Sopping List?, Underdog Gallery Hamburg, DE

Just European?, Red Carpet for young art, curated by Manuel Gras, EGA - Women in the center, Vienna, AT

Sofia Queer Forum 2014 - Manifestations of The Personal, curated by Stefka Tsaneva, Vaska Emanuilova Gallery, Sofia, BG

Global Village, International Exhibition in three European countries; Abcoude, NL; Landshut, DE and Culture House Broenden, Copenhagen, DK 

International Women's Day, Artworks from the collection of Slava Nakovska and Nedko Solakov, curated by Iara Boubnova, ICA Gallery, Sofia, BG

Ecce Homo, Charlemagne’s Legacy to Contemporary Art, curated by Jeroen van Paassen, Atelierhaus Aachen, DE

Dress Up, curated by Iara Boubnova, ICA Gallery, Sofia, BG

 

2013    

Bulgarian Artists in Vienna. Contemporary Practices at the Beginning of the 21st Century, curated by Maria Vassileva, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG

Koschatzky Art Award for Contemporary Drawing, Mumok Hofstallungen, Vienna, AT

Magnet/Antimagnet, curated by Iara Boubnova, ICA Gallery, Sofia, BG

 

2012   

Love, curated by Maria Vassileva, Rayko Aleksiev Gallery, Sofia, BG

Who Left/What Behind?, curated by Saliha Kasap and Demna Dimitrova, Pleven, BG, Ankara, TR

Global Village, International Exhibition in three European countries, curated by Jeroen van Paassen, namely Projekt 072 in Alkmaar, NL, Chateau de Sully in Burgundy FR and Culture House Broenden, Copenhagen, DK

 

2011    

Contemporary Istanbul, curated by Veselina Sarieva, Sariev Gallery, Istanbul, TK 

Re-Production, curated by Alla Georgieva and Nadezhda Dzhakova, Contemporary Art Museum, Sofia, BG

Transgressions, curated by Vera Mlechevska, Gallery Credo Bonum, Sofia, BG

The Big Bang, curated by Svetlana Kuyumdzhieva, Gallery Credo Bonum, Sofia, BG

Warehoused Art, curated by Veselina Sarieva, Sariev Gallery and Sklada, Sofia, BG

Section 13, Rajko Aleksiev Gallery, Sofia, BG

 

2010   

Qui Vive?, Moscow International Biennale for Young Art, Exhibition “Liberty/Freedom”, curated by Darya Kamyshnikova and Sergey Erkov, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Moscow, RU  

 

2009  

After Ego,  XV Week of Contemporary Art, curated by Svetlana Kuyumdzhieva, Art Today Association Centrum for Contemporary Art Povdiv, The Ancient Bath, BG 

Take Me to The River - Istanbul, Video works, Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University, Texas, USA

The Temptation of Chalga, curated by Svetlana Kuyumdzhieva and Vessela Nozharova, Chronology and documentation by Venzislav Dimov, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG

From Yesterday to Tomorrow. Monuments of Sofia, curated by Maria Vassileva, Sofia City Art Gallery, BG 

Take Me to The River, A Multinational, Multimedia Exhibition in conjunction with 5th World Water Forum, DEPO, Istanbul, TK 

Gesellschafter ART.AWARD, Aktion Mensch und ART.FAIR 21, EXPO XXI, Colon, DE 

 

2008    

East Up, Roemerapotheke Gallery, Zurich, SZ

Aktuelle Scene Bulgarien, Ludwig Museum, Koblenz, DE

Spiders From Jupiter-Lost Categories-ABC-Antagonist, curated by Iv Toshain, Raiko Alexiev Gallery, Sofia, BG

Nord Art, Rendsburg, DE

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2007    

On The Tracks of The Lost Time,  Sofia City Art Gallery, BG

Plastic/Conceptual, Contemporary Bulgarian Painting, Narodne Osvetove Centrum, Bratislava, SK; Hofburg, Innsbruck, AT; Museum Thermen am Viehmarkt, Trier, DE; Gallery DAP, Warsaw, Wroclaw, PL; Cultural Center Babel, Utrecht, NL

Shortlist, Exhibition of the Nominated Artists for Gaudenz Ruf Award, Rayko Aleksiev Gallery, Sofia, BG

 

2006   

Visual Immortally, 2nd International Biennial for Contemporary Art, Shumen, BG

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2005

Personal Mythology, UBA Gallery, Sofia, BG

 

2004    

Drawings and Graphics, 11th International Biennial Festival of Portraits, Tuzla, BA

 

2003    

10 x 5 x 3, curated by Peter Tsanev,  Vladiya Mihaylova, Daniela Radeva , Irina Batkova, Yovo Panchev, Krasimir Iliev, Krasimir Linkov, Nadezhda Dzhakova and Nikolay Ushtavaliyski, UBA Gallery, Sofia, BG

Award for Young Authors and Critics, St. Cyril and St. Methods International Foundation, UBA Gallery, Sofia, BG

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Residencies

 

2021

Visual Intrusion - Art Residency Galichnik, MK

CCN Residency - Kulturvermittlung Steiermark, Graz, AT

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2012

Artists in Residency, Judenburg, AT

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Collections

 

Sofia City Art Gallery, BG

MOYA Museum, AT

Luciano Benton Collection, IT

Slava Nakovska and Nedko Solakov, BG

Nikolai Nedelchev, BG

Manuel Gras, AT

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Publications

 

2019

Dimensions of Publicness, 24th Gabrovo Biennial of Humor and Satire in Art, pages 204-205, catalogue

Poetics of Image, National Autumn Exhibitions Plovdiv 2019, page 22-25, catalogue

Collection Darik, page 279, catalogue

Queerness, pages 8-9, catalogue

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2018

The Debate on Reality, Contemporary Bulgarian Painting and Sculpture, page 111, catalogue

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2016   

…So Close, So Far…, , page 5, catalogue

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2015   

Artists In Residence, Judenburg, pages 32-33, catalogue

Safe The Dreams, Luciano Benetton Collection, pages 42-43, catalogue

Art For Change 1985-2015, pages 57, 61 and 131, catalogue

Image And Likeness, pages 144-145, catalogue

Caution: Wet Paint!, pages 16-17, catalogue

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2014    

Ecce Homo, pages 18-19, catalogue

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2013    

Walter Koschatzky Kunst-Prise 2013, page 54, catalogue

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2012    

Global Village 2012, page 45, catalogue

Who Left/What Behind?, pages 146-149, catalogue

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2009    

Art. Fair 21- Messe Für Aktuelle Kunst, Art . EXPO 21, Köln, page 169, catalogue

From Yesterday to Tomorrow. Monuments of Sofia, page 21, catalogue

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2008    

Aktuelle Scene Bulgarien, pages 60-61, catalogue

A-A-X All About Him, page 104, catalogue

Nord art, page 12, catalogue

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2007    

National Competition For Young Artists and Critics, International Foundation St. Cyril and Methodius, page 74, catalogue

Shortlist, Gaudeny B. Ruf Award 2007, pages 22-25, catalogue

 

2006   

Plastic/Conceptual, Contemporary Bulgarian painting, pages 12-13, catalogue

 

2005    

Bulgarian Artists Union, page 3, number 9

 

2002   

SIAB, 5. Student international art biennale, page 12, catalogue

The House/The Chaos, page 4, catalogue

Painting / Educational and creative aspects, page 270, circulation 1000

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