Kiril Cholakov

Biography

Born in 1964 in Sofia, Bulgaria, Kiril Cholakov lives and works in Rimini, Italy.
Trained at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria,
graduating in 1989, he then continued his career in Italy, where he has been living since 2000. His works are concerned with the topics of inner
‘disorientation’, issues of intersection and hybridisation of identity. He
reconstructs and invents forgotten paths to reconfigure his own personal geography, from a highly biographical perspective, to create works of surprising poetry. His own history underpins his work of ‘dismantling images and words’. Through imaginary writing, a universal language, Kiril bridges the gap between the sense of loss of place, and the ways in which feelings of belonging arise at the intersection of personal and collective memory.
Techniques: Painting, drawing, object and installation art, photography

1Kiril striscia CV

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024,
“ Un’ancora sempre più leggera “, PICCA arte contemporanea, Pesaro, Italy. https://www.amaci.org/events/67054a2bd
412246c70cb5dc9  

2022/23
“ Between/ Fra”, Sofia Arsenal Museum of Contemporary Art – National Gallery, Bulgaria (2022/23),
https://nationalgallery.bg/
exhibitions/kiril_cholakov_frabetween/ ;

2021,
” False movement” , curated by Valerio Dehò , Galleria Zamagni, Rimini 
https://www.zamagniarte.it/mostra/falso-movimento/ ;(catalogo)

2019,
” Nostalgia”, curated by Franco Pozzi , Galleria Primo Piano , Rimini

2018,
“ An ever lighter anchor”, Intro Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria; (catalogo)

2017,
“ Dissection of Memory ”, curated by Irina Batkova, Stubel Gallery, Sofia,   https://stubelgallery.com/en/artist/show/Kiril-Cholakov/60 

2015
” Home Beyond the World ”, curated by Galina Lardeva, Autumn Exhibitions , House Museum Balabanov, Plovdiv (2015) https://www.facebook.com/National
AutumnExhibitions2015/  ;

2014,
“ Minimum Balkan Diary”, curated by Diego Galizzi, Museo Civico delle Cappuccine, Bagnacavallo (RA), Italy ; ( catalogo)
http://www.museocivicobagnacavallo.it/mostra-cholakov/  

“ Trip to Bulgaria”,   a project realised with Elizabeth Holzl / fotografie /, curated by Emanuela De Cecco, Gefanngins / le Carceri, Kaltern , Bz
https://www.gefaengnislecarcerigalerie.it/2014-2-cholakov-hoelzl-de  ;

2010,
“Small people ”, curated by Katya Angelova, ES gallery,  Merano, Italy
https://1995-2015.undo.net/it/mostra/108870 

 “Shadow”, Gallery Scarpellini, Rimini, Italy

 “ Traces in memory”, curated by Giuseppe Massetti, Pescherie della Rocca, Lugo (Ravenna), Italy

2009,
“Black”, curated by Diego Galizzi, Antico Convento di San Francesco , Bagnacavallo (Ravenna), Italy

2008,
“ The look and the slit”, curated by Alessandro Giovanardi & Franco Pozzi, Assenzio, Rimini,Italy

2007,
“Spaesamenti”, curated by Chiara Canali, Catus Art Gallery, Bologna, Italy

2003
“Idyllic”, Onore (Bergamo), Italy

2002
“Kiss my eyeball”, Tra Arte Gallery, Verucchio (RN) , Italy 

2000
“Carpe Diem2”, Palazzo della Provincia ,Ravenna, Italy

1998,
“Welcome to Bulgaria, Where Everything is possible”, curated by Massimiliano Jafrate, Palazzo Duca Cantermi, Atina (FR),Italy

1997,
“Carpe Diem”,  gallery Stulbata, Sofia, Bulgaria ; (catalogo)

1995,
“ If You,  want to see Sofia beautiful buys one to you Porshe”, Priz gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria

1994,
“Odyssey”, curated by Maxmilian Kirov, Gallery Vitosha, Sofia, Bulgaria

1992,
“The court of the King passes”, Gallery Vitosha, Sofia, Bulgaria

1991,
“Sirtachi” , Municipal Gallery, Preveza, Greece

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023,
“Back to Athens/ The Christian tradition in Contemporary art” , curated by Stratis Pantazis & Elena Panayotova, Atene, Grecia

“The drawing /Masters and generations/”, INTRO gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria

“ Cosmodrome” curated by Ralitsa Gerasimova, VarnaSity Art Gallery, Bulgaria

Expoarte Montichiari( BS), Galleria Zamagni, Rimini

Cremona Art Fair, Galleria Zamagni(RN)

2022,
“Reflections”, curated byi Stratis Pantazis & Elena Panayotova, M.A.M.A. contemporary museum, Pàphos, Cipro 

2021,
“The HERBARIUM as  a place  for storing ideas”, curated by Irina Batkova, Sofia Arsenal Museum of Contemporary Art – National Gallery, Bulgaria
https://www.herbariumcollection.com/kiril-cholakov

“The Passing”, curated by Milena Becci, Galleria Zamagni, Rimini 

2017,
“A Theory of the present”, curated by Irina Batkova, Gaia gallery, Istanbul, Turkia 

2016,
Biennale Disegno Rimini, Drawing Biennial Rimini, “Profili del mondo”, curated by Marinella Paderni, Massimo Pulini, Giulio Zavatta ; (catalogo) 
https://www.biennaledisegnorimini.it/edizioni-precedenti/edizione-2016/

Biennale Disegno Rimini, “L’acqua disegna”, curated by Franco Pozzi in collaborazione con Romagna Acque; ( catalogo)

 “Perditiva”  curated by Massimo Pulini, Aria Gallery, Firenze,Italy

2015,
“Image and likeness “/ 77 self-portraits from the collection of Nikolay Nedelchev, curated by Nadia Timova, La Galleria Nazionale, Sofia, Bulgaria; (catalogo)

“Save the Dreams”, the Bulgarian collection of Imago Mundi, curated by Claudio Scorretti e Irina Ungureanu, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venezia; (catalogo)

2014,
Biennale Disegno Rimini, Rimini, Italy; (catalogo) https://www.biennaledisegnorimini.it/edizioni-precedenti/2014-2/home-2/mostre-2014/cantiere-disegno/ 

“La scrittura disegnata”, MUSAS museo di Santarcangelo(RN), Italy
https://www.biennaledisegnorimini.it/edizioni-precedenti/2014-2/home-2/mostre-2014/la-scrittura-disegnata

2008,
“Aktuelle Szene Bulgarien”, Ludwig Museum Koblenz, Germania, curated by Beate Reifenscheid ; (catalogo)

2006,
“2 International Biennal for Contemporary Art Shumen-2006”, Bulgaria, curated by Elena Panayotova and  Petar Tzanev,  Shumen, Bulgaria

“ 10x5x3 “, curated by Galina Lardeva, Stanislav Pamukchiev, 6 Shipka Street ,Sofia, Bulgaria

2005,
Donumenta, curated by Regina Hellwig-Shmit, Regensburg, Germania; (catalogo)

“Not free slot ” , curated by Elvira Vannini  , Sixth sense gallery, Bologna, Italy

“Conflict/Conflicts” , curated by Sinapsher ,Villa Serena , Bologna , Italy

 2004
“ Ways/Enigmas” , curated by Roumen Serafimov, August  in Art , Biennale of Visual Arts ,Citi Art Gallery , Varna , Bulgaria

1997,
“Contemporary Bulgarian Art “, The Old Church, Amsterdam, Holland  

1996,
International Painting Triennial, Sofia, Bulgaria

1995,
European artists in Georgia, UNESCO & Municipal Gallery, Kutaisi, Georgia

RESIDENCES:

1996,
UNESCO – Artisti europei in Georgia

1997,
UNESCO – residenza ad Albe Steiner Centro – Ravenna per la realizzazione di una opera musiva

2023/24,
Sitè International des Arts – Paris

OTHER PROJECTS

‘The Nation of Plants’, a long-term project in cooperation with professor Stefano Mancuso and based on his book, for the Citta della Domenica park in Perugia. This ongoing project explains to children how the ecosystem works, biodiversity and our place and role in the green planet.

Kiril Cholakov is represented by the: