Contemporary Bulgarian is on display in a special exhibition at Ludwig Museum in Koblenz, Germany, from September 6 to November 11 2008. The event, called Aktuelle Szene Bulgarien, covers creations from the 1980s to the present.

More than 40 artists will have their works on display in this first time for such a large-scale show. Many of the pieces come from the collection of Dr Peter Ludwig. He and his wife Irene started collecting in the early 1980s; their collection has more than 200 pieces from Bulgarian artists.

Others are works of current contemporary Bulgarian artists, like Adelina Popnedeleva, Angel Stanev, Bozhidar Boyadjiev, Boris Missirkov and Georgi Bogdanov, Ventsislav Zankov, Dinko Stoev, Dimitar Yaranov, Elena Panayotova, Emil Popov, Ivailo Mirchev, Ivan Roussev, Kiril Cholakov, Krassimir Dobrev, Lyuben Genov, Nedko Solakov, Nikolai Maistorov, Svetlin Roussev, Svilen Blazhev and Stanislav Pamoukchiev.

Dr Beate Reifenscheid, director of Ludwig Museum, selected the works to represent the 1990s and 2000s.

In a news release issued about the exhibition, it was written that many Bulgarian artists of the 1980s were not able to develop their artistic talent, because the country was isolated from Western Europe. But, since communism ended (1989) and the country joined the European Union (January 1 2007), such has become possible and international dialogue has increased.

“This exhibition is proof of the emancipation of Bulgarian artists on the world art scene, their talent, breadth of vision and courageous innovative ideas,” the statement read.

Aktuelle Szene Bulgarien takes place under the patronage of Kurt Beck, ministerpräsident of Rheinland-Pfalz, and Bulgarian Vice-President Angel Marin.