Bulgaria’s International Festival of Glass opens this month

Bulgaria’s International Biennale of Glass (IBG) celebrates its fifth edition this month with an exhibition of around 200 works by artists from 50 countries, representing established and emerging creators, different generations and a diversity of techniques.

Under its traditional slogan, ‘Together’, this year’s event is being held at the National Gallery/Kvadrat 500 from 18 September to 30 November 2025.

Highlights of the exhibition include works by Václav Cigler (Czech Republic), one of the most influential figures in the development of optical glass and conceptual sculpture; a blown glass artwork by the world-famous Dale Chihuly (USA); a vase with applied elements of mythological symbolism by the Murano master Lucio Bubacco (Italy), and a spatial analytical work by artist and architect Han de Kluijver (Netherlands).

British glass artists’ work in the show includes Cathryn Shilling’s ‘Consonance Diptych’ and Yaron Meyer’s ‘Growth’.

Alongside the main exhibition, IBG 2025 will present an extensive programme of events, including guest exhibitions, lectures, open studios and live demonstrations. More details can be found on the website: https://glassbiennale.nbu.bg/events-2025/

This edition includes several key collaborations, including the Franco-Bulgarian residency of artists Clara Rivault and Plamen Kondov held at CIRVA (Marseille), the New Bulgarian University and the National Academy of Arts, the visiting exhibition of the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław, and the participation of finalists from the Glass Cutting World Cup in Světlá nad Sázavou.

The Art Real K.L.M. Association organises the event in collaboration with the National Gallery and with the support of the Tianaderrah Foundation (USA), the New Bulgarian University, the French Institute in Bulgaria, the Italian Cultural Institute in Sofia, the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund, the Czech Centre in Sofia, Chihuly Studio and Charles Parriott, and a number of galleries, institutions and individuals engaged in the development of contemporary glass.

The International Biennale of Glass 2025 takes place at: Kvadrat 500, 1, 19th February St., St Alexander Nevsky Sq., Sofia, Bulgaria.

Image: (left) ‘Black Pine Soft Cylinder with Cadmium Orange Lip Wrap’ by Dale Chihuly (2013) © 2013 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved, Photo: Scott Mitchell Leen; (right) ‘Illusion’ (2010) by Bulgarian Konstantin Valchev.