The Singer-Zahariev Foundation is a non-profit organisation established with the aim of promoting contemporary art in Bulgaria. The Foundation was set up in 2020 by Kathrin Singer and Kamen Zahariev – a German-Bulgarian couple who are collectors and supporters of the arts. Having lived abroad for many years, Kathrin Singer as freelance journalist, and Kamen Zahariev as Director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), both are now committing a significant part of their life to contributing to the development of contemporary art in Bulgaria and the wider Balkan region.

The main focus of the Foundation is the support to Bulgarian artists and curators across the spectrum of the arts.

The Foundation has also launched the Balkan Contemporary Art Prize to facilitate cultural exchange and collaboration within the Region.

The Foundation aims are:  

✺  to support Bulgarian contemporary artists in their work by creating opportunities to work and exhibit;

✺  to establish a vibrant international atmosphere that promotes the exchange of ideas and innovation throughout the Balkan region;

✺  to generate peer-to- peer learning and a professional development for artists through artist-led workshops, residencies, exhibitions and other public events;

✺  to create a platform for a fruitful exchange between different ways of life and generations;   

✺  to establish links between visiting artists and the people in local area communities in order to explore the relationship between art, craft and the preservation of the rural heritage;

✺  through an active cultural and visiting programme, develop new opportunities for the people in rural areas who have been affected by structural and societal changes in the Balkan region.