site.btaExhibition Hosted by Goethe Institut in Sofia Looks at Fall of Communism in Romania

Goethe Institut in Sofia will host a guest exhibition titled "30 Years of Optimism" from June 20 to July 22. In their joint project, artists Lisa-Marie Schmidt and Alexandru Mihai Budes look at the fall of communism in Romania, the socio-political phenomenon of a Michael Jackson concert in Bucharest in 1992, and the two faces of capitalism, the organizers said. 

In addition to exhibits and footage, visitors to the exhibition will be able to enjoy a discussion with Schmidt, Budes, and Bulgarian artist Lachezar Boyadzhiev. The organizers recall that in 1992, shortly after the fall of the communist regime in Romania, Michael Jackson became the first Western megastar to hold a concert in Bucharest.

"The title of the project (original title: 30 de ani de Optimism) quotes a Coca-Cola advertising campaign in Romania from 2021, referring to the fall of communism and the import of Coca-Cola products. Likewise, Michael Jackson serves as a symbolic figure, a Western product with the bright aura of a Saint, seemingly to finally bring the long-desired freedom," the organizers added.

Born in 1991 in Trier, Germany, Lisa Marie Schmitt studied Fine Arts at the Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar in Saarbrücken. Her works have been presented in various exhibitions, including Kunstverein Ludwigshafen, Arp Museum Rolandseck, Brucke-Museum Berlin, and Galerie Bernau. 

Alexandru Mihai Budes, born in 1992 in Sebes, Romania, studied Theory and History of Art at the Bucharest National University of Arts and later obtained a master's degree in Fine Arts/Sculpture. His works have been exhibited internationally, including at the National Museum for Contemporary Art in Bucharest and the Romanian Cultural Institute in Paris. Both Budes and Schmitt live and work in Berlin and Romania.