Maria Nalbantova

Maria Nalbantova (b.1990, Sofia, Bulgaria) lives and works in Sofia. In her artistic practice, Maria Nalbantova engages with social and political themes while responding to specific spaces where the locale’s context and features become the main aspects of her works. She is also concerned with the history of a particular place, which becomes part of her works through the incorporation in the visual “flesh” of the piece of found objects and materials, photographs, and archives. In addition, the artist wrestles with questions about communality, living together, the environment, care, trust, and responsibility. In 2022 she participated in the biennale Manifesta 14 in Prishtina, Kosovo; the Schmiede Media Arts Festival, Hallein, Austria; the international residency “Art and Science Varna” vol.1, hosted by ReBonkers, Varna, Bulgaria; and she was an artist in residence at Residency Unlimited, New York as a winner of the BAZA Award (Bulgaria, 2020).

Maria Nalbantova, Cleanse, 2020, video 7 min, tiles with defects, stone, wood, synthetic fibers, water, soap, asphalt, gold leaves, acrylic, rubber gloves, mirror, test tube, mesh body sponge, metal basin, photo: Peter Raijekov;