BIO

STATEMENT

More and more society is “driven by dreams of an error-free world, of 100 % efficiency, accuracy and predictability”(Lyotard) in technology as well as in human behavior. My works explore the vanishing niche of the imperfect, the error, the bug as an outcast category , but also as an invariable feature of the human nature. Through photography, video and installations I capture or sometimes intentionally evoke situations which try to disturb the established routine of man and reach to his body, space and self-awareness.

Another aspect of my practice is critically examining the impact of new technologies in our lives. How for example the Internet experience is influencing and changing our perception of the “real” life, is our attitude towards the social networks leading us to a new kind of addiction or we can consider it as an extension, an augmentation of our self and how we intend to deal with planned obsolescence and the electronic waste we produce

BIOGRAPHY

Born in 1987, Iliyana Kancheva lives and works in Sofia. In 2010 she graduated in Stage Design(BA) and in 2014 in Digital Arts(MA) at the National Academy of Art, Sofia. Iliyana works in the field of theatre as well as photography, video and installation. In 2013 her experimental films were selected for “Videoholica” International Festival for Video Art, Varna, “FAÇADE” Video Art Festival, Plovdiv, both in Bulgaria, and “Videomedeja” Video Art Festival, Novi Sad, Serbia. At the Naoussa International Film Festival 2013, Greece, Iliyana was awarded with “People’s Choice SEE Talents Experimental Award” for the short film “Autofocus”. In 2014 she participated in “Turn on the city”Art Festival, Burgas, Bulgaria. In 2015 her film “Today’s Walk” was selected for EUROVIDEO Festival in Liège, Belgium, and was part of the official selection of the 5th International Digital Art Fest, Sofia, Bulgaria. November 2015 her first solo exhibition, “Image Don’t Cost a Thing”, opened at The Fridge Gallery in Sofia. At the JustMAD8 Art Fair, Madrid, February 2017, she won the “Art Residency Prize” at Arts Connection Foundation in Miami, USA, of the call “justTECH 2017”. In February 2019 she participated in the group exhibition “EX5” in Centro Cultural Galileo, Madrid. In March 2019 her third solo exhibition, “Interviews from Miami: a dictionary”, opened at 0GMS Gallery, Sofia. In July 2019 Iliyana was invited to participate in the group project “Sense of a City” – intervention in public space, organized by Bulgarian Fund for Women and curated by The Frigde. The project was part of the programme of Plovdiv 2019 – European Capital of Culture. In 2022 Iliyana wins the national award of Union of Bulgarian Artists “ICARUS” for best theatre scenography.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Iliyana Kancheva lives in Sofia, Bulgaria

BORN:

24. 04. 1987 in Sofia, Bulgaria

EDUCATION:

  • 2016 – 2019 PhD student, “Aesthetics of the error in digital arts”, at the National Academy of Arts, Sofia
  • 2012 – 2014 – Master Degree in Digital Arts at the National Academy of Arts, Sofia
  • 2006 – 2010 –  Bachelor Degree in Scenography at the National Academy of Arts, Sofia
  •  2001 – 2006 – National High School for Fine Arts “Iliya Petrov”, Sofia – Specialization – Painting

GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

  • November 2022 – Dramaturgy of Space – group exhibition of stage, costume and puppet design in UBA Shipka 6, Sofia
  • October 2022 – 7 Outside Traffic – group exhibition in UBA Shipka 6, Sofia
  • November 2019 – EPICENTRE, Centre del Carme, Valencia, Spain, part of The Wrong Biennale
  • October 2019 – DA FEST[7] – International Festival for Digital Art, Sofia
  • July 2019 – Sense of a City – interventions in public space, curated by The Frigde, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
  • February 2019 – EX 5 – five years of electronic and experimental art, Centro Cultural Galileo, Madrid
  • November 2018 – “DA10BG” – 10 years Master Program “Digital Arts” in National Academy of Arts, Sofia, curated by Venelin Shurelov and Galina Dimitrova-Dimova, “Academy” Gallery, Sofia
  • October 2017 – “Places of Pleasure”, curated by Stefka Tsaneva, Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia
  • October 2017 – “Post-digital space”, curated by Rene Beekman, The Red House Centre for Culture and Debate, Sofia
  • March 2017  – “Bridge through time” annual group exhibition of stage, costume and puppet design in Raiko Aleksiev Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • February 2017 – justTECH17 – Electronic and Experimental Art in Madrid, Spain, curated by EX Association
  • September 2015 – International Digital Art Fest, Sofia Bulgaria
  • May 2015 – Nominees of ESSL Award exhibition, “Academy” Gallery, Sofia
  • 2014 – “Loop” part of “Turn on the city” Art Festival, Burgas, Bulgaria, curated by Venelin Shurelov
  • 2014 – “TRANS-FORM” 4th Transform in Art Education exhibition and symposium, Bucharest, Romania
  • 2011 – Dom Omladine, Panchevo, Serbia
  • 2011 – “Human Factor”, Sofia Arsenal – Museum for Contemporary Art, part of  “Mois européen expérimental de la photo à Sofia”
  • 2011 – “BITTA GENERATION”, Palazzo D’Avalos, Vasto, Italy

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

  • 2021 – 20.07 – 27.07 – “Party Animals”, Depoo Gallery, Sofia
  • 2019 – 12.03 – 04.04 – “Interviews from Miami: a dictionary”, curated by Daniela Radeva, 0GMS Gallery, Sofia
  • 2017 – 06 – 30 October – “Delete Me Now”,  Connect Now Room, Miami, Florida, USA
  • 2015 – 13 – 25 November – “Image Don’t Cost a Thing” at The Fridge Gallery, Sofia
  • 2013 – “Abandoned People/Cities” – photography at Metro Station “Serdika”, Sofia

AWARDS:

  • March 2022 – ICARUS Award – national award of the Union of Bulgarian Artists for theatre scenography for “Strindberg Gallery” performance
  • May 2021 – Diploma for contribution to the development and promotion of Bulgarian culture and national identity from the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria
  •  March 2021 – Nomination for the national award of Union of Bulgarian Artists “ICARUS” for theatre scenography for “Serotonin” performance
  • November 2017 – Grant for further development from Fine Acts
  • February 2017 – EX III Residency Prize
  • 2015 – Nominated for ESSL ART Award
  • 2013 – “People’s Choice SEE Talents Experimental Award” for the short film “Autofocus” at Naoussa International Film Festival, Naoussa, Greece

ARTIST IN RESIDENCY:

FESTIVALS AND FAIRS:

  • October 2017 – Miami New Media Festival, Miami, Florida, USA
  • February 2017 – JustMAD Art Fair, Madrid, Spain
  • March 2015 – EUROVIDEO Festival, Liège, Belgium
  • June 2014 – “Small Season” at Sfumato Theater, Sofia
  • November 2013 –  “Videomedeja” Video Art Festival, Novi Sad, Serbia
  • September 2013 – Naoussa International Film Festival, Naoussa, Greece
  • September 2013 – “FACADE” Video Art Festival, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
  • August 2013 – “Videoholica” Festival for Video Art, Varna, Bulgaria
  • March 2013 – “Turn on the city” Art Festival, Burgas, Bulgaria
  • September 2011 – DA – International Digital Art Fest, National Academy of Art, Sofia

WORKSHOPS:

  • 2013 – workshop “ZEITRAFFER/TIME-LAPSE”, organized by Goethe Institut, Sofia and led by Venelin Shurelov
  • 2012 – “Youth in Action”, “Zdravo da ste” Workshop in Banja Luka, Bosna and Hertsegovina – video communication, led by Voja Radosavljevic
  • 2011 –  “Youth in Action”,“BITTA GENERATION” Workshop, Vasto, Italy – stop motion animation for sustainable living, led by Toma Pan and Sonia Cucculelli
  • 2010 – “Programming reactive live visuals, National Academy of Art, led by Hexler(RJ Fisher)
  • 2009 – “Space for time”, National Academy of Art, led by Sachiyo Honda, Rin Yamamura, Too Hajimo
  • 2005 – “Experimental Photography”, National High School for Fine Art, led by Stanka Tsonkova-Usha