Slavcho Atanasov, Mayor of the Bulgarian City Plovdiv banned the Czech artist David Černy from all city grounds. This disproportional reaction follows a debate about Černy's participation in the internationally casted exhibition "Atlantis. Hidden Histories - New Identities. Twenty years after the Iron Curtain". Opening of the exhibition is Saturday, 10th October 2009, in the Centre of Contemporary Art in Plovdiv. Both curators, Emil Mirazchiev and Jakob Racek, resist this affront to the freedom of art. "We adjudge this totally disproportional reaction of the mayor of Plovdiv. When 20 years back the Iron Curtain fell, people stood up for the freedom of opinion, demonstration and press as well as for the freedom of art. With his statement the Mayor damages this heir and puts himself into a deeply authoritarian tradition".

"I prohibit this man the entrance to any territory being in the possession of the city of Plovdiv", comments Atanasov the invitation of the Czech artist by the curators of the exhibition in a recently published press release. He might visit a coffee house or any other private institution, but it´s strictly forbidden to enter the building of the Ancient Bath where the Center for Contemporary Art is located.

Černy last appeared in public through his installation ENTROPA within the Czech EU presidency in spring this year. The Bulgarian government protested against exhibiting Bulgaria as squat toilet and let this part of the installation be cloaked. Černy has been invited by Emil Mirazchiev to present this black cloak within the current exhibition. Following this invitation, the radical-nationalistic party ATAKA in the Plovdiv city parliament handed in a petition to avoid Černys participation. The party appealed all citizens of Plovdiv to a protest rally during the opening of the exhibition. The petition was suported by the Mayor Slavcho Atanasov and his deputy, the culture speaker Petja Gogova. This is the first case of political censorship of an art piece in the post communistic history of Bulgaria.

The co-founder of the Art Today Association and cultural leader of the Center for Contemporary Art, Emil Mirazchiev, got an anonymous death threat.

Below you find a couple of related news paper articles:

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=108662
http://www.sofiaecho.com/2009/10/07/795896_czech-artist-david-cerny-banned-from-plovdiv-city-hall
http://www.sofiaecho.com/2009/10/06/795372_ataka-opposes-david-cernys-visit-to-plovdiv
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=108663
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=108662
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n196624
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=s2593
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=108561