THE SOFIANER 2024: What is Priceless to you in Sofia?
Open call for visual artists 2024
Credo Bonum Foundation and Multi Kulti Collective, with the support of US Embassy in Bulgaria, Mastercard and 5l Speakeasy Bar, announce an open invitation to visual artists to offer their view of Sofia in the form of a cover of the imaginary magazine The Sofianer in the spirit of the legendary American magazine The New Yorker.
For the competition:
"What is Priceless to you in Sofia?" This is the guiding question of the competition this year. We are looking for illustrations that reflect the authentic and diverse face of Sofia and the lives of Sofia residents in all seasons of the year, in all parts of the city, from all points of view - from beautiful facades to ugly places, from the things we love to those that irritate us daily. The city is not just tourist and advertising images, so the jury will look for sincere, funny, ironic or highly critical answers to the question "What is Priceless to you in Sofia?".
"What is Priceless to you in Sofia?" This is the guiding question of the competition this year. We are looking for illustrations that reflect the authentic and diverse face of Sofia and the lives of Sofia residents in all seasons of the year, in all parts of the city, from all points of view - from beautiful facades to ugly places, from the things we love to those that irritate us daily. The city is not just tourist and advertising images, so the jury will look for sincere, funny, ironic or highly critical answers to the question "What is Priceless to you in Sofia?".
28 images will be selected, which will be presented in an open-air exhibition in September 2024. The images will be presented on the project website, as well as will be used for communication on social networks. The Sofianer is a registered trademark. The rights to the images remain the property of the artists, but they cannot be sold under The Sofianer brand.
Some artists and covers will be selected and invited if they wish to produce advertising materials, posters, merch and more. Additional communication will be made with them after the competition.
Who can participate:
The competition is open to artists, illustrators, cartoonists, graphic designers, etc. of all ages and nationalities who at some point in their lives have lived in Sofia and/or are related to the city. Participants from all social and cultural contexts and marginalized groups are welcome.
To participate:
Each candidate can send up to 3 proposals for participation in the competition. The images must meet the following technical requirements:
- Only .jpeg files up to 10 MB per image are sent (after announcing the results, the selected participants will have to send the images in high resolution).
- Images should be A4, vertically oriented and follow the classic cover design of The New Yorker.
- Applicants must include in their proposals the title The Sofianer attached to the application documents (download here in eps and pdf format).
- The finalists will have to add the rest of the mandatory details (date, number) after discussion with the organizers.
- Proposals should be sent to info@sofianer.com as attachments with a maximum size of 20 MB.
The letter should be worded as follows:
- Subject: [NAME OF THE ARTIST] - The Sofianer
- In the text of the letter, candidates must present a short biography (up to 5 sentences), a link to a website / portfolio and a short description of the idea of the illustration (5-10 sentences).
The main criteria of the jury will be:
- Artistic value
- Compliance with the conditions of the competition and the aesthetic orientation
- Originality of the idea and authentic reflection of the spirit of Sofia
- Diversity of views and visions for Sofia
Jury:
- Adriyana Mihaylova, founder of #soSofia and Imp-Act Agency
- Andrea Brouillette-Rodriguez, deputy chief of mission, US Embassy in Bulgaria
- Anton Penev, municipal company Tourism, Sofia Municipality
- Bistra Ivanova, chairperson, Multi Kulti Collective
- Vessela Nozharova, curator, Credo Bonum Gallery
- Yordan Zhechev, creative director guts&brainsDDB
- Mira Miroslavova, visual artist
- Simeon Vassilev, project manager, Credo Bonum Foundation
About The Sofianer:
The magazine, with its urban spirit and classic vision, marks the beginning of a global movement in which cities around the world make their imaginary covers. This is how The Parisianer, The Tokyoiter, Le Montrealer, The Brusseler, The Milaneser или The Shanghairen appeared. They sparked the imagination of local artists and illustrators to present their city on the classic example of The New Yorker. The new covers are a love song for the cities - but not for the well-known symbols and tourist emblems, but for the authentic spirit of the city.
The magazine, with its urban spirit and classic vision, marks the beginning of a global movement in which cities around the world make their imaginary covers. This is how The Parisianer, The Tokyoiter, Le Montrealer, The Brusseler, The Milaneser или The Shanghairen appeared. They sparked the imagination of local artists and illustrators to present their city on the classic example of The New Yorker. The new covers are a love song for the cities - but not for the well-known symbols and tourist emblems, but for the authentic spirit of the city.
In 2022, Sofia joined the global initiative and after the success of the first two editions, it once again invites illustrators and artists to depict Sofia as the cover of the imaginary magazine The Sofianer.
Application deadline: 15 July 2024
The project is realized with the financial support of the US Embassy in Bulgaria, Mastercard and 5l Speakeasy Bar.