SPORNO FESTIVAL #1

25/06/2024

SPORNO FESTIVAL #1

Locations:
BOBBINA< DOZA GALLERY< KO-OP< DOM CLUB< THE STEPS< DOM NA KINOTO(for detailed program see below or check instagram @aetherartspace)

WÆ ÆTHER SOFIA AND MICHAELA LAKOVA INVITE YOU TO THE FIRST EDITION OF SOFIA PORN FESTIVAL — A FESTIVAL DEDICATED TO THE RELATION OF ART AND PORNOGRAPHY IN THE ERA OF MASS COMMUNICATION.
WHAT IS DESIRED IN NEO FEUDAL SOCIETY NOWADAYS AND HOW DESIRE IS EXPRESSED IN TIME WHEN AI IS TAKING OVER? CAN PORN AND PORNOGRAPHY BE ACTIVE AGENTS OF REBELLION IN TIMES OF REPRESSION, ONGOING WARS AND CENSORSHIP? HOW MUCH DO WE ALLOW INSTITUTIONAL GUILT TO INFLUENCE AND MANIPULATE OUR BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL BEHAVIORS? WHAT IS A COLLECTIVE SEXUAL BODY AND HOW THE BODY WITHOUT ORGANS PARTICIPATES AND MANIFESTS IN NEW EMERGING NARRATIVES OF THE POST-BODY?
BETWEEN POLITICAL AND HISTORICAL ISSUES, THE QUESTION OF ARCHIVES IS CRUCIAL FOR MINORITY GROUPS AND MARGINALIZED SUBCULTURES. WHEN IT COMES TO SEXUAL CULTURES AND NON- STANDARD IDENTITIES, WHAT NARRATIVES DO PORNOGRAPHY, PAST AND PRESENT, CONVEY? AS A COMMUNITY TOOL FOR QUEER SEXUAL EMANCIPATION, PORN IS A PROCESS WHOSE ARCHIVING IS NOT JUST A MEMORY, BUT AN OPEN DOOR TO COLLECTIVE AND POWERFUL HORIZONS. ONE OF THE POLITICAL STRENGTHS OF PORN IS ITS ABILITY TO COLLECTIVELY SEIZE BODIES THROUGH SEXUAL AND FANTASTICAL IMAGERY, A TOOL FOR STRUGGLE, EMANCIPATION AND/OR JUBILATION.THE FIRST EDITION OF SPORNO — SOFIA PORN FEST AIMS TO EXPLORE HOW PORN AND PORNOGRAPHY COULD BE SEEN AS AN ART FORM, OUTSIDE OF THE MAINSTREAM, CLICHÉS, THE TABU, THE UNSPOKEN, THE PATRIARCHY AND HYPER MASCULINITY.SEX AND PORN ARE OUR TOOLS TO TRANSGRESS AND TO PROVOKE A DISCUSSION, WHICH WILL UNVEIL THEMES ABOUT SEXUALITY, SELF-EXPRESSION, ACCEPTANCE AND TOLERANCE TOWARDS LGBTQ+,QUEER, TRANS PEOPLE, SEXWORKERS AND ALL THE SUB-GROUPS AND OUTCASTS EMERGED.------------------------------------------------------DAY BY DAY

PROGRAM
SPORNO FESTIVAL 25-39 JUNE
TUESDAY 25 JuneOpening reception
Location: BOBBINA
Ul. Triadica 5A
7 pm.
TALK, Performances, Presentations
Screening, Art, Music
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:::ARTISTS PARTICIPATING:::Bruce LaBruce (CA)
Gio Black Peter (NYC)
Slava Mogutin (NYC)
Michael Portnoy (NYC)
Manuel Anima (CH)
Pauline Boudry & Renate Lorenz (CH/DE)
Patricio Ruiz (AG)
Victoria Papagni (AR) & Tobibi Bienz (CH)
Nicky Miller (DE)
Fabio da MOTTA & Nish Gerra (BR/DE)
Bruixes Lab (BE)
Corrine Fhima (FR)
CLAP! Collectif (BE)
Aleksandar Yuzev (BG)
Paradoxa (BG)
Yanik Lechev (BG)
Lubri (BG)
Georgi Pavlov (BG)
Mihail Okoliysky (BG)
Mitch-Brezounek (FR/BG)
Stanimir Panayotov (BG)
Patricio Ruiz (AR)
Yasen Zgurovski (BG)
Maria Savva and Brunella Sabatino (CY/IT)
Nia Topalova (BG/NL)
Sofia Dimitrova (BG/DE)
Karina Dobreva (BG)
Pia Schwarz (CH/DE)
Knives & Pepi (DE)
Teodora Tsvetkova (BG)
Andrei Sarom (BLR)
Buzia, Ernest & Szymon (PL)
Jat Nott
Déandrah (NL)
Leon Simonis (AT)
Nia Pushkarova (BG)
Ivana Stoichkova (BG)
Diana Petrova (BG)
Bobby Collins (USA)
ЛЮТЕНИЦА (BG)
Hex Pixie (BG)
Kyril Buhowski (BG)
Paulina Masevnina (RU)
Pavel Belchev (BG)
Antonin Bouchy (FR/BG)
Gabriela Andonova (BG)
George Shishkin (RU/BG)
Biss Nova (BG)
Sophia Grancharova (BG)
Dimi Dedikov (BG)
Martina Šikulová (CZ)
Voin de Voin & Ivana Nencheva (BG)
Michaela Lakova + Maurice Suitela (BG/NL)
Dušan Josip Smodej (SI)
Anastasia Skvortsova (RU)
Deyan Yanev (BG)
Anton Stoianov (DE/BG)
Vojta Dubcová (CZ)
Lili Kuschel & Lola Göller (DE)
Jeltje Schuurmans (NL)
Martin Dermendzhiev (BG)
Violeta Ivanova (BG/AT)
Dimitar Mitovski (BG)
Hera(BG)
Katsarida Press (GR)
Alina Belyagina (GR/DE)
Nikola Stoyanov (BG)
Sevda Semer (BG)
Wolf Vader & Paul (NL)
Sergey Rozhin (RU)
Lea Kalfus (CH)
Zoe Manta (GR)
Svetly Evgeniev (BG)
Maria Makedonska (BG)
Rayna Teneva (BG/AT) & Aaron Roth (BG /US)
Lexie Fluer (BG/ US)
Masha Krasnova-Shabaeva (NL/RU)
Katya Dimitrova(AT/BG)
Reading My PantiesÆther is an artists-run platform for exhibitions, discussions, community gathering, experimentation, workshops and publishing. Æther focuses on cross-cultural, social, judicial, and artistic initiatives and practices that are active and directed towards visible changes and community improvement. Æther partners with LGBTQ+, anti-fascist and human rights organizations internationally, to oppose dominant paradigms in society. By elevating underrepresented voices and collective thinking Æther Art Space facilitates dialogues where non-patriarchal, inclusive, and intersectional voices can be heard in order to raise social awareness.
Æther operates an alternative platform in the Hague, the Netherlands, called Æther Haga and has organized Sofia Art Week - annual festival for contemporary art since 2016.