New exhibition by Bulgarian artist Margarit Tsanev - Margo in Paris

The work of Bulgarian painter Margarit Tsanev - Margo (1944 - 1969) will be presented at the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Paris, bearing witness to a spirit of rebellion, freedom and insubordination. Join us on Thursday March 6 from 6.30pm for the exhibition opening.

Margarit Hristov Tsanev, known by his artist name Margo, was a Bulgarian painter and sculptor who committed suicide at the age of 24. He left behind a legacy of over 200 works, now in private and public collections.

The exhibition ENVOL, opening on March 6 at 6.30pm at the Galerie de l'Institut Culturel Bulgare in Paris, includes
more than forty of his rarely exhibited works. These include portraits, self-portraits, landscapes and drawings that reveal his revolt against the system of the 1960s. Some of his creations explore religious and mythological themes, while others plunge into poignant meditations on love and death.
Although he remained forever 24 years old, his works stand out, even today, for their singularity and their avant-gardism in the context of their time.

The exhibition can now be viewed at the gallery of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Paris until the end of May.

Margarit Tsanev was born in Teven on October 30, 1944. After completing his secondary education at the Sofia School of Fine Arts in 1964, he was admitted to the Academy of Fine Arts in 1965, where he specialized in sculpture. Friends describe him as extremely solitary, charismatic and profoundly free.

In 1968, the rector of the Academy suspended his university rights for one year, forcing him to leave Sofia. The formal reason for this decision was his beard, which he refused to shave, considering it a sign of mourning for the loss of his parents. At the end of December 1968, Margo returned to her hometown and, on January 1, 1969, took her own life.

Her body was not found until spring, and her memory was honoured by an impromptu posthumous exhibition at the Academy, organized by her friends and fellow students, but closed by the authorities only a few days after its opening.

Over the years, Margo's friends have organized periodic exhibitions in tribute to the talented artist. Albums of his work have also been published.

Exhibition curator: Olympia Nikolova - Daniel