Vessela Nozharova (b. 1 974 in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria) is an art historian, critic and curator based in Sofia. She graduated in Art History from the National Art Academy in Sofia. Working predominantly with contemporary art, her activities focus on curating, art criticism for a number of Bulgarian publications, and lecturing on the history of art and its current agenda. She has realized more than 40 curatorial projects in Bulgaria, Austria, Belgium, Italy and Turkey. In 2007 she curated the Bulgarian national presentation at the 52nd Venice Biennial for contemporary art. Since 2015 she is the curator of Credo Bonum Gallery in Sofia. In 2008 Vessela Nozharova co-founded the curatorial collective Art - Affairs and Documents Foundation.
Introduction to Bulgarian Contemporary Art (1982- 2015) is the first comprehensive history of Bulgarian art from the end of the 20th and the begining of the 21 st century. It is based on a cycle of lectures delivered in Plovdiv and Sofia by the author, within the frames of the Introduction to Contemporary Art educational platform of the Open Arts Foundation and Sariev Contemporary Gallery. The book aims to trace and present the history and specifics of Bulgarian contemporary art with its most important players, artists, institutions and galleries. The book offers an all-round overview of the art scene in Bulgaria in a clear and accessible way.
