Nedko Solakov’s wide-ranging and exuberant work, which in formal terms is hard to keep in bounds, is a singular assault on the desire for perfection, finality, and clarity. Starting from his studies of mural painting at the art academy in Sofia, the Bulgarian artist (*1957) has developed an oeuvre over the past twenty-five years that is as humorous as it is playful, as stinging as it is melancholy, and which casts doubt on the authenticity of each and every system of representation. At the latest since his contributions to the 2007 Venice Biennale and documenta 12, Solakov has occupied one of the central positions within current European art. This publication accompanies a large survey of his oeuvre that includes examples of his work from the late eighties to 2007, combined with pieces that have been created specifically for the presentation.

Exhibition schedule: Kunstmuseum Bonn, September 20–November 16, 2008 Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, February–May 2009 Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt, July 12–October 4, 2009

Texts by Ralf Beil, Stephan Berg, Konrad Bitterli, Georgi Gospodinov, Nedko Solakov