2024. synaesthesia

Sofia Underground International Performance Art Festival

Synaesthesia

24 — 28 April 2024

Synaesthesia (from the Greek syn, “together” and aisthesis, “sensation”) is the blending of the senses in which perceptions are linked without a clear cause-and-effect relationship. Thus they evoke an idea as if from a sense that was not actually stimulated. People with synaesthesia often note that letters or numbers are associatively visualised in colour, sound tones resonate with colour power, or even a sense of smell.

But synaesthesia is not just a neurological condition. Against the background of the relentless drive toward systematisation and standardisation alongside the processes of segregation, individualisation, and marginalisation, it is also a powerful conceptual and practical tool for overcoming the current trend through authentic arbitrariness. For leaping boundaries, creating and redefining relationships, discovering new horizons of creativity in swarming systems of rules.

We decided that in a time when the body is over-occupied and over-coded by everything but its owner, the construction of arbitrary connections between unusual elements is a key moment for a possible liberation of its movement, thinking, feeling and being in general. For its deification.

We use synaesthesia as an approach to contingent relations, as unforeseen strategies, arbitrary intentions, inexplicable approaches, and as an urgently needed local terrain eclecticism, interdisciplinarity and collaborativeness.

In addition to the standard format of the festival, this year we also announce the long-awaited edition of SU FILES 1997 — 2023 in the Alma Mater Gallery, a retrospective exhibition with archival materials, photographs, texts, videos, works, traces and fragments of previous editions.

This edition is organised by Studio DauHaus and Synaesthesia Collective.
Supported by National Culture Fund, Goethe Institute Bulgaria and Embassy of Ireland, Bulgaria.
In partnership with Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Cultural center at SU, HyperSpace Social Tech Hub, Belka Studio for Sound and Form, Bobbina Cultural Space and others.

PROGRAM

24.04.2024 (Wednesday)
@ BELKA studio for sound and form (9 Mitropolit Panaret Str)
19:00 – 23:00
Mia Momchilova / Boyan Hristov / Milena Stanojevich (BG) – Sleeve Off – intervention-installation
Prodan Markov & Elena Marinova (BG) – Participation
Lady Gaby (DE) – Synthesian Journey – interactive performance
Matheau Sylvestre (DE/FR) & Boyan Avramov (BG) – collaborative sound performance

25.04.2024 (Thursday)
@ Bobbina Cultural Space (5A Triaditza Str)
19:00 – 23:00
Paul Regan (IE) – Step 2 – performance
Marko Markovic (AT/HR) – ISLANDS OF UTOPIA
Matheau Sylvestre (DE/FR) – Main Core – sound performance
Ropotamo Co. – jam session
+
The Artist At Play:
Bilyana Tokmakchieva & Boyan Spasov (BG) – My Memory Box – installation
Vesela Karapetrova (BG) – Untitled – video installation
Yoana Zhecheva (BG) – Aetheral Forms – installation

26.04.2024 (Friday)
@ Krasno Selo Municipal Culture Institute (41 Tsar Boris 3rd Blvd)
18:00 – 22:30
Georgi P. Pavlov & Konstantin Dimitrov (BG) – Bareback – performance
NxMx & The Magwomb (BG) – Chaosphere: Rituals of the Unpredictable – performance
Şebnem Yüksel & Canberk Hacıbaloğlu (TR) – FUSE – durational performance
Yoanna Laskova (BG) – River Without a Name – interactive performance
Marko Markovic (AT/HR) – ISLANDS OF UTOPIA II – performance
+
Vadim Epstein (IL) + COH – TEOPEMA – video (34′ 50”)
Diana Bunkin (BG) – Ancestral Embodiment – installation
Stefan Hristov & Lia Lyutakova (BG) – Back Home – video installation
Denis Manev (BG) – Ruptures in Memory Governance – interactive installation
Stefani Stoeva (BG) – Where people come to die – photography installation
Yekim Petrov, Deyan Tsvyatkov, Stefan Goncharov (BG) – PINKED – interactive video installation

27.04.2024 (Saturday)
@ Krasno Selo Municipal Culture Institute (41 Tsar Boris 3rd Blvd)
18:00 – 22:30
Bogomil Batoev (BG) – Wooden Gurel – participatory land art
Paulina Masevnina (CZ/RU) – READY-SET-GO – durational performance
Stefan Goncharov, Deyan Tsvyatkov, Yakim Petrov (BG) – Pinked – interactive performance
Eva Dabara (IL) – ONSARK – performance
Isul K (DE/NZ) & Viktoria Nikolova (NL/BG) – The Eternal Parent – sound performance
+
Thibault Mayans (BG/FR) – OT MAY – intervention
Vadim Epstein (IL) + COH – THEPOEM – video (42′ 14”)
Lars Nordby (BG/NO) – Zinc White Lard – installation
Diana Bunkin (BG) – Ancestral Embodiment – installation
Stefan Hristov & Lia Lyutakova (BG) – Back Home – video installation
Denis Manev (BG) – Ruptures in Memory Governance – interactive installation
Stefani Stoeva (BG) – Where people come to die – photography installation
Kris Metodiska (BG) – The digital devouring mother – installation

Clubnight @ Kupe club (8 Slavyanska Str)
24:00 – 06:00
Main room:
Errorbeauty (DE), KANZ (BG)
Small room:
Synaesthesia Residents, OFFBEAT Crew
Live visuals:
Mr Vux (BG/FR) & eps (IL)

28.04.2024 (Sunday)
@ HyperSpace Social Tech Hub (13 20th of April Str)
19:00 – 22:00
Yves-Christian Angelov (BG) – Worm – durational performance
Vladimir Vlaev (BG) – Pervade The Space – sound performance
Simon Whetham (UK) – Channelling Reduction – sound performance