Exhibition ‘Do Not Forget’ by David King and Dorian Hirsch to open at Sofia Arsenal Museum of Contemporary Art
An exhibition entitled “Do Not Forget” opens at the Sofia Arsenal Museum of Contemporary Art on February 7 and continues until March 10 2019.
“Do Not Forget” is part of the series of creative interventions of IDentity Projects addressing themes of belonging, time, remembrance and identity, the gallery said on its website.
The exhibition consists of the artworks of two multimedia artists: the Series “Stars and Stripes” by David King and the Series “The Order of Chaos” by Dorian Hirsch.
“I meditate on death to question what this life asks of me,” the gallery quoted King as saying. In his highly conceptual series of drawings created in quick succession and called “Stars and Stripes”, the artist depicts the dissonant extremes of beauty and hope in the horrors of war, order in the heart of chaos, and creation in the gas clouds of destruction.
King is a multimedia artist. Born in London, UK he currently works and lives in New York. King’s thought-provoking work has been featured at some of the most prestigious places including Miami Art Basel, Soho Arts Club and Frieze Art Fair. The artist’s creativity extends to music where he is currently recording his debut album at Electric Lady Studios – the studio founded by Jimi Hendrix.
“Creative highs and chaotic lows is the definition of an artist’s life,” Hirsch said.
“Chaos and creation lie at the base of the artist’s work, which he describes as an automatic reaction to a stream of thoughts without any premeditation. The instinct to fight chaos is the one that the creator ultimately strives to evoke. His father was a child when he escaped from the Auschwitz camp, a fact which affected Dorian’s family, shaped his unique identity and created memories which he will not forget.”
Hirsch was born in the US. He currently works and lives in London, UK. He graduated from Central Saint Martin’s College in London. He has had numerous gallery exhibitions and in 2018 he exhibited at Tate Modern.
Hirsch has worked within the photography, film and advertising industry on projects alongside Mario Testino, Liam Gallagher and Thandie Newton, on marketing campaigns for Dolce & Gabanna, French Connection and Smirnoff, and for clients including Condé Nast, the Guardian and the BBC.
“Do Not Forget” will open with David King’s Live Performance.
“The yellow Star of David that was once a representation of the visual labelling of Jews, mandatory to be worn as a badge of fear, humiliation and division; will be now worn by all our exhibition attendees as a symbolic act of Unification.
“The audience will gain more knowledge and power by confronting and exploring untold courage buried in almost forgotten history. Visitors will be invited to reflect on and personalise their museum experience, by sharing their thoughts and feelings on our exhibition board,” the gallery said.
“Do Not Forget” will close on March 10 with Dorian Hirsch’s Live Art Performance titled “48 000”. Hirsch’s performance will celebrate the 76th Anniversary of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust.
“In 1943 Bulgarians wrote one of the most inspiring chapters in the history of the world’s humanity. Almost 48 000 Jews were saved from being deported to the death camps of the Holocaust,” the gallery said.
“Do Not Forget” Exhibition aims to bring awareness to this fact kept secret until 1989 and tell a story which explores the parts of our culture that are hidden.
“Do Not Forget” is a touring exhibition, curated and initiated by Polina Angelova and will support the cultural exchange between the UK, Bulgaria, and Israel, the gallery said.
As a curator, Angelova has collaborated with contemporary designers, galleries and institutions including the Design Museum in London, Collect Design Fair, Arper, Clerkenwell Design Week, Hull Studio, Gallery FUMI, developing curatorial projects alongside Justin McGuirk, Tom Wilson, Donna Loveday. She is one of the Co-curators of Re-considering Canon Exhibition at the Design Museum, during LDF 2018.
“Being a curator means to constantly revise hidden parts and unexplored connections of our culture which go hand in hand in art, fashion, design and architecture,” Angelova said.
Details of the gallery’s address and opening hours are available at its website.
(Illustration: Detail from Dorian Hirsch’s ‘Gad’)
