KNOW THYSELF

"Know Thyself" is a maxim known since antiquity. It is said that these words were carved on the wall of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi where one would go to meet the Oracle. And Socrates put the maxim at the basis of his treatises on knowledge. Various philosophers and philosophical schools have given diverse interpretations of the maxim but they all agree that it poses one of the hardest riddles for the individual. Ultimately it all has to do with the place of man in the world and his ability to define his role there on his own thus defining his own destiny....

The history of visual art knows an equivalent to the maxim and this is the self-portrait, one of the oldest and most popular genres. Artists the world over have tried to analyze their own identity and to pretend that they are different; they have hoped to remain in eternity by speaking singularly and through their inner dialogue to bring their subconscious out into the open.

On the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the ICA-Sofia Gallery the members of the institute present an exhibition of self-portraits. They have been created over the years and are using various artistic means. The show has a historical profile not simply because of the production dates of the works on display. The exposition invites the viewer to track the changes – physical, social, and artistic that each author has gone through over the years; it offers a glimpse at the different attitudes of the artists towards the very "matter" of art and the surrounding reality too. Through paintings and compositional deconstruction, through staged photography and snapshots, installations, drawings and even through the now popular selfie the participating authors are talking about themselves as well as... about everybody else.

Participants:
Alexander Kiossev, Ivan Moudov, Kalin Serapionov, Kiril Prashkov, Krassimir Terziev, Luchezar Boyadjiev, Mariela Gemisheva, Nedko Solakov, Pravdoliub Ivanov, and Stefan Nikolaev.
Curator: Iara Boubnova