About the artist
Hello! I'm Elitsa Ganeva, Bulgaria-based multidisciplinary artist who works in the fields of video installation, text, photography and painting. I'm raising funds to bring my most recent art installation 'Calyptra' to Nakanojo Biennale in Japan.
It was not until last summer that I got the courage to show publicly my very first video installation at the Water Tower Art Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria. The project won the award for Artistic Debut and a few months later was selected for presentation at the Nakanojo Biennale in Japan.
Exactly five years after my first photography exhibition in my hometown of Veliko Tarnovo, I was honored to have a project of mine noticed and praised by esteemed Japanese artists and curators. Accidental as this may sound, it does not have anything to do with chance, in my opinion. And I will tell you why.
Inspiration & Idea
The idea for ‘Calyptra’ was to a large extent brought about by my fascination with intricate drawings from old botanical books dating back to the 19th century and people’s approach to visualizing plant life at the time. Gradually, of particular interest to me became mosses due to their rootless agility that enables them to cover acres of land and all the stories tangled in and hidden underneath the golden green webs. While trying to reveal clues to how a story unfolds, I discovered the mesmerizing shape of Sphagnum – a very popular type of moss. Its cellular structure, the tiny body with a remarkable water capacity, the survival abilities, the talent of purifying the air and detecting pollution equally drew my attention. I even went to the Liverpool World Museum and took a close look at their moss collection for further insights. One by one the pieces began to fall into place.
The more I learnt about mosses, the more I realized how many of the answers we are looking for are often beneath us in the form of a smooth green carpet or lengthy fibers pointing in new directions.
Inspired to illuminate my discoveries, I set out to recreate the structure of the moss plant as a screen and project onto it a video of a human figure going in circles as means of interpreting every new beginning and the cycle of life. A cycle that is never ending just as the search for the meaning of life - curious, doubtful, furious, rootless, imprisoned, and then again - free, connected, absorbing, detecting the poisonous occurrences - inside and out. Moss plants are tiny but wise - they are like expressions of Nature’s higher conscience. What is one mistake we often make? Failing to notice what is going on in our own inner universes. Mosses do notice! Those ancient beings are planting so many ideas and answers for us to explore.
'Calyptra' at NAKANOJO BIENNALE (Japan)
When I got the invitation for Nakanojo Biennale, I began to research mosses that are common in Japan only to find out an impressive variety and be further impressed by the fact that there is even a line about moss in the country’s national anthem. When I created 'Calyptra' I had no clue that one day it might take me as far as Japan. Today it feels like the installation was meant to be shown there.
However, in order to properly display all facets of the installation, I need to transport the screen. It is heavy and a little bit off the standards, so it will be hard and expensive to bring it with me on the plane. By now the project is entirely self-funded but I will need your help to raise funds for the transportation costs and packaging. I will use the services of a european logistics company. The money will also help me buy train and bus tickets. Your help is essential to make this journey possible!
Especially for the installation in Japan I will create and edit the video with new footage of Japanese moss. Also in the works is a plan to turn the shooting process into a workshop with Japanese students who will assist me and also take photographs. Their work will be included in the newly produced video. I am even more inspired to delve into the subject along with children showing them the structure of the plant through my video installation. I hope that this project will draw the attention of people from different backgrounds (artists, students, teachers, scientists) to the idea of exploring nature in an artistic way, in art galleries as well as at schools and other non-traditional venues.
I am planning to donate all the photographs and videos, created on site to the schools of Nakanojo and also to my science consultant Jessica Budke of University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA. She kindly shared with me a lot of valuable information about mosses that I am very grateful for!
THANKS
I am also very grateful to Christo Harlov who helped me with the technical production of Calyptra in 2016.
The music is also very important part of my installation - the beautiful composition 'Spy from the Void' is created by the Italian band Der Zirkus Brennt. I'm thankful to Dario Mambro who helped me find the perfect sound for the original video, projected on 'Calyptra'.
Big thanks to Todor V. Todorov who also helped me with the technical part and created the lovely animation for the video of the campaign! Your talent inspires me!
Shout out to Mariana Sabeva and Mihail Minchev - you are the best text editing squad in the universe! Thank you!
WHY your HELP is Important
Become part of my dream! Your support will do more than just help me transport my art installation, it will give me HOPE that I am on the right path, doing what I love and creating something of value to people. Not just for me but for a world, in which we reinforce our connection with nature and channel freely our fascination with its marvels through art. Just like I do while overcoming my fears and doubts.
'Calyptra' is about common ground
we are all made of cells
we are consistent
we absorb
we connect
we Are connected
we Are One
Elitsa Ganeva Official Site
Elitsa Ganeva Official Facebook page
Nakanojo Biennale