Musiz, 2005

MUSIZ (Museum for Contemporary Art), 2005
MUSIZ was a public action / happening, which faked the opening of a Museum for Contemporary Art in Bulgaria. The action began in February 2005 with an advertising and PR campaign and ended in May with a public gathering for the opening of the Museum on the disused Poduyane train station near the center of Sofia. 

In order to point out the lack of such an institution in the country, as well as the government’s negligence towards contemporary art, the artist mislead the general public and the cultural officials to believe that such a museum will be opened on the train station. The announcement was made with posters and billboards around Sofia, publications in local media, an officially distributed press release and personal invitation cards to a number of cultural officials. On the day of the opening more than 350 people came to the empty train station, among them were the director of the National Gallery, the chairman of the Union of Bulgarian Artists, the directors of foreign cultural institutes in Bulgaria, as well as many diplomats.  

MUSIZ had a strong impact on the local art scene in Bulgaria. It was developed in the framework of the project “Visual Seminar” of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Sofia, and was realized with the help of a small circle of artists, curators and friends of the author.