Bernard Blistène, director of the Museum of modern and contemporary art „Georges Pompidou” and the Centre’s chief curator Nicolas Liycci-Goutnikov visited Sofia. Bernard Blistène and the Mayor of Sofia Municipality Yordanka Fandakova discussed the possibilities for Sofia to present Bulgarian art in Paris. Malina Edreva, head of the permanent commission on culture, education, science and cultural variety at the Sofia Municipal Council, also took part in the meeting.

The Mayor Fandakova pointed out that the visit of the director of the Museum of contemporary art „Georges Pompidou” is a great honor for Sofia. “It’s very important for us to give the opportunity to contemporary Bulgarian artists to find a stage in Europe and our presidency has given us such opportunity”, Mayor Fandakova also said.

The mayor of Sofia Yordanka Fandakova: “Our common goal is works of contemporary Bulgarian artists to be exhibited at the Museum „Georges Pompidou” in Paris, which would be the first exhibition about Bulgaria. This year, using Sofia’s Culture Program, we supported projects that give Bulgarian artists the chance to present their works in Europe and today’s visit is a part of this program. We have already completed the project of Sofia’s center of modern art, which we named “Heating plant” and I expect to begin its construction by the end of the year on the site of the old heating plant near the National Palace of Culture.”

“Our visit here in Sofia is to gather information. My colleague curator at the Center and I want to get information on the contemporary situation around the Bulgarian works of art and their specifics after the fall of the Communist regime”, said Bernard Blistène, director of the Centre „Georges Pompidou”. Blistène also said that he wants to know who the artists who have awaken the spirits in our country are.

Mr. Blistène also said that he has invited Christo to make an exhibition at the Centre „Georges Pompidou”. Apart from him, another Bulgarian artist will also be featured at the Centre. At the moment there is an exhibition of Nedko Solakov with ten of his paintings.

The Centre „Georges Pompidou” was established in 1977. Within the National Museum of modern and contemporary art it possesses one of the three most important collections of modern and contemporary art in the world. It has more than 7 million visitors per year, which makes it the third most visited institution in France. At the moment the Centre hosts an exhibition of 10 paintings of the Bulgarian painter Nedko Solakov.