International Biennale of Glass exhibition opens in Bulgaria’s capital on September 18
The International Biennale of Glass exhibition opens at the National Gallery’s Kvardat 500 on September 18 and continues until November 30 2025.
This is the fifth International Biennale of Glass, reaffirming its role as a leading showcase for contemporary glass art in Bulgaria and around the world, the gallery said on its website.
Since its launch in 2017, it has increasingly attracted artists and spectators, becoming a forum for the exchange of ideas and cultural encounters.
Under its traditional slogan, “Together”, this year at the National Gallery / Kvadrat 500 the biennale presents about 200 works by artists from 50 countries – an impressive selection, uniting established and emerging creators, different generations and a diversity of techniques.
Highlights of the exhibition include works by Václav Cigler (Czechia), one of the most influential figures in the development of optical glass and conceptual sculpture; a blown glass artwork by the world-famous Dale Chihuly (US); a vase with applied elements of mythological symbolism by the Murano master Lucio Bubacco (Italy), and a spatial analytical work by artist and architect Han de Kluijver (The Netherlands).
This edition includes several key collaborations, including the Franco-Bulgarian residency of artists Clara Rivault and Plamen Kondov held at CIRVA (Marseille), the New Bulgarian University and the National Academy of Arts, the visiting exhibition of the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław, and the participation of finalists from the Glass Cutting World Cup in Světlá nad Sázavou.
The Art Real K.L.M. Association is the organiser of the event in collaboration with the National Gallery and with the support of the Tianaderrah Foundation (US), the New Bulgarian University, the French Institute in Bulgaria, the Italian Cultural Institute in Sofia, the 13 Centuries of Bulgaria National Endowment Fund, the Czech Centre in Sofia, Chihuly Studio and Charles Parriott, and a number of galleries, institutions and individuals engaged in the development of contemporary art of glass.
