The current exhibition in UniCredit Studio, If You Want It, by Borjana Ventzislavova focuses on the negative impact of humans on nature and calls for taking measures to preserve the environment.  If we want to do so.

The exhibition will present the photographic work Through the Cave from the series Ghost Lights, which show natural landscapes as well as a part of civilization, and in all of them there is light, which symbolizes man and his presence/ absence from them. According to Borjana Ventzislavova: “Light is a very important symbol – it can be a beginning and an end, it can be either warm or cold, it can sustain life or destroy it.”

Borjana Ventzislavova gained inspiration for the title of the exhibition If You Want It from the poster by John Lennon and Yoko Ono from 1969, which says “War Is Over. If You Want It”. If we want to stop the “war” that we ourselves are waging against the most important thing – nature and acknowledge its rights, if for a moment we consider our wrongdoings against it, we will stop fighting against ourselves. 

“We are happy that in this very moment we are hosting an exhibition, which intensely draws attention on our responsibility as people for the destruction or preservation of nature. In fact, the connection between nature, art and a financial institution may seem surprising, but there is strong logic behind it. We are living in times of transformation in a personal aspect, but we also are changing the way of doing business. Art visualizes this transition in an impressive way. We, too, as a leading financial institution, are aware of our responsibility to walk this way together with our clients and partners towards a transformation for a greener and digital economy. Besides that, we realize that time to accomplish this is getting shorter. We join in Borjana’s call that everything is in our hands and if we want it, we can preserve nature”, shared Tzvetanka Mintcheva, CEO of UniCredit Bulbank.

The project is realized in partnership with the Embassy of Austria and Kvadrat 500 National Gallery

 

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About Borjana Ventzislavova:

Borjana Ventzislavova was born in Sofia. She is living and working in Vienna and Sofia. She holds a Master's degree from the University of Applied Arts, Vienna. She is an interdisciplinary artist and works in the fields of photography, film/ video, installation, performing and media arts.

Her works have been presented in solo and group exhibitions and at a number of media and film festivals in Europe, America and Asia, including:  Belvedere 21, Kunstforum Vienna, Lentos Art Museum in Linz, MAK Vienna, MAK Center for Art and Architecture Los Angeles, Museum of Modern Art Salzburg and Klagenfurt, Salzburger Kunstverein, Baden Kunstverein, Esterhazy Foundation, Essl Museum, Triennale Linz, k/haus, quartier21, Bildraum, Bäckerstrasse4 galleries, Ostlicht, Thomas K. Lang in Vienna, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/ Bethanien, Kurt-Kurt, LS43 in Berlin, Radiator in New York, Sofia City Art Gallery, The National Gallery, Sofia Arsenal - Museum of Contemporary Art, Academy, Credo Bonym, Art Today, Plovdiv, Cologne Conference, IDFA, Diagonale, EMAF, transmediale, filmwinter, Rencontres internationales, Berwick Film and Media Arts Fest, film festivals in Moscow, Istanbul, Split, etc.

She has received a number of prizes, recognitions and scholarships.  Her works are included in a number of private and public collections, including the collection of the Austrian Ministry of Culture and Art, the collection of the City of Vienna, the National Gallery in Sofia, Belvedere 21, Lentos, Essl/Albertina, Esterhazy, Anerlener and others.

In 2017, she was awarded Austrian citizenship for merits in the visual arts.

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Additional media information:

Ekaterina Ancheva, tel +359 894 518 193 , flbufsjob/bodifwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Darina Radoslavova, tel +359 887 505273, Ebsjob/SbeptmbwpwbAVojDsfejuHspvq/CH