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Aaron Roth & Dimitar Genchev – Who’s afraid of painting – Artist talk
Who’s afraid of painting?
A conversation with Aaron Roth and Dimitar Genchev
Moderator: Vesselina Sarieva
A conversation with Aaron Roth and Dimitar Genchev
Moderator: Vesselina Sarieva
31 March 2023, 6:30-8:00 pm.
Artnewscafe, Plovdiv
Artnewscafe, Plovdiv
Sarieva / Gallery is pleased to invite the public to join a conversation about contemporary painting with two artists whose works it has presented in exhibitions many times – Aaron Roth and Dimitar Genchev.
Aaron was born in Los Angeles (1998) and received his education at the Slade School of Fine Art, London. Dimitar is originally from Plovdiv (1985) and after graduating from the National Academy of Arts in Sofia, he graduated from the Utrecht School of Art (HKU) and Rijksakademie, Amsterdam. Although with different biographies and artistic pursuits, the Bulgarian and the American are united by their painting and life in Plovdiv. They use classical techniques to represent two very different aesthetics. Dimitar creates delicate and fragile visuals which bring plasticity to rough urban elements. At the same time, Aaron paints the symbols of nouveau riche luxury almost naturalistically, finding something primal in the standards of the chalga-elite.
Dimitar Genchev, Sweet gaze, 2022
Sarieva Gallery invites the audience to an open conversation with the artists, who will discuss the status of painting and the painter today. The young painters will talk about the development of the dynamic contemporary art scene in Bulgaria, the way trends affect it and what they are at this stage. The role of educational institutions in relation to contemporary art will also be discussed, from the point of view of two artists educated at Bulgarian and foreign art universities.
Last but not least, Aaron and Dimitar will examine the combination between painting and shame – the artist’s shame, its natural manifestations and its creeping into the work. Is there shame in being a painter, how does it arise and who’s afraid of painting?
The conversation unfolds in the context of Aaron Roth’s solo exhibition “Бейж” at Sarieva / Gallery.
Views from Aaron Roth’s “Бейж” exhibition
Aaron Roth is born in Los Angles (1998). He currently works between Sofia and Plovdiv. In 2021 he received his Bachelors in Fine Arts (painting) at “Slade school of Fine Art”, London with a thesis on the visual culture of pop-folk. His first solo show was exhibited in 2021 in an abandoned supermarket near to Stochna Gara in Sofia “biznes (end) management”. His second solo show, “At liberty with the time frame”, was part of FLUCA, Austrian cultural pavilion in Plovdiv, organized by Open Arts Foundation. In 2022 he had his third solo show “The golden wire” in Sofia, “Punta” gallery.
Group shows that he has participated in include: “Memories of a social club that doesn’t exist”, London (2022), ZÉRUÌ gallery, curated by Jerry Goa; “Freedom”, Plovdiv (2022), Kapana City gallery; “The hanging show”, Sofia (2021) “Institute of Contemporary Art”, Sofia; “Sofia queer forum” (2021) Museum of contemporary art Sofia and Doza gallery, curated by Martina Stefanova; “Sofia Art Week” Sofia 2021 curated by Voin de Voin; “And The weird dreams/we have 3.0_back_to_postwhut” Venice (2020); “In the Calle” curated by Ludovica Elpidia.; “BAZA 2022”, Sofia City Art Gallery.
Group shows that he has participated in include: “Memories of a social club that doesn’t exist”, London (2022), ZÉRUÌ gallery, curated by Jerry Goa; “Freedom”, Plovdiv (2022), Kapana City gallery; “The hanging show”, Sofia (2021) “Institute of Contemporary Art”, Sofia; “Sofia queer forum” (2021) Museum of contemporary art Sofia and Doza gallery, curated by Martina Stefanova; “Sofia Art Week” Sofia 2021 curated by Voin de Voin; “And The weird dreams/we have 3.0_back_to_postwhut” Venice (2020); “In the Calle” curated by Ludovica Elpidia.; “BAZA 2022”, Sofia City Art Gallery.
Dimitar Genchev (b.1985 in Bulgaria) lives and works in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He received his education from the National Academy of Art, Sofia, HKU University of the Arts in Utrecht, and participated in the residency programme at Rijksakademie, Amsterdam. His works have been exhibited in Museum De Domijnen Hedendaagse Kunst, Sittard, the Netherlands, Sofia City Art Gallery, the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, Kaskadenkondensator, LISTE international contemporary art fair in Basel and Gerhard Hofland gallery in Amsterdam, among many other spaces. Over the past five years Genchev has received awards and scholarships from the Mondriaan Fund foundation, awards for painting: the Buning Brongers Award in the Netherlands, the national competition of Allianz Bulgaria for painting and sculpture for young Bulgarian artists, and the Gaudenz B. Ruf Award. In 2016, Genchev’s paintings were selected by curator Noor Mertens for participation in the Perspectives and Concepts exhibition, part of Art Rotterdam. His works were exhibited in the exhibitions Listen to Us – Artistic Intelligence – works from the Deutsche Telecom collection, BACKGROUND: Young Artists from Plovdiv, organised by Sariev Gallery, and Object Love, displayed at Morsbroch Museum in Leverkusen, Germany.
Photo cr.: Maria Djelebova
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