Credo Bonum Foundation and Multi Kulti Collective announce an open invitation to artists and illustrators 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. This is the second edition of the project after its success in 2022.
For the competition:
The competition is 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 of the competition will look for sincere, funny, ironic or highly critical answers to the question "What makes our city what it is?".
20 images will be selected, which will be presented in an open-air exhibition in September 2023 and will be included in a special paper magazine and in a video. The images will be presented on the project website, as well as will be used for communication on social networks and promo materials, but will not be used for commercial purposes. The right to such use will remain the right of artists. The jury will also give 3 prizes of 500 BGN each.
Who can participate:
The competition is open to artists, illustrators, cartoonists and graphic designers 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.
For participation:
Each candidate can send up to 2 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 gallery@credobonum.bg as attachments with a maximum size of 20 MB.
The letter should be worded as follows:
Subject: [NAME OF THE CANDIDATE] - 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 (optional).
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:
The jury will be composed of:
Adriyana Mihaylova, founder of #soSofia and Imp-Act Agency
Bistra Ivanova, chairperson, Multi Kulti Collective
Kameliya Velichkova, publisher, Vij Magazine
Malina Edreva, member of the city council, Sofia Municipality
Rozalina Burkova, artist
Vessela Nozharova, curator, Credo Bonum Gallery
Simeon Vassilev, project manager, Credo Bonum Foundation
About The Sofianer initiative:
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 edition, it once again invites illustrators and artists to depict their Sofia as the cover of the imaginary magazine The Sofianer.
EXTENDED deadline for applications: 10 July 2023.
The project is funded by Sofia Municipality, Culture Program and implemented with the support of the Bulgarian-American Credit Bank.