site.btaFifth International Biennale of Glass to Showcase Nearly 200 Works by Artists from 50 Countries

The International Biennale of Glass will celebrate its fifth edition this year, running from September 18 to November 30, 2025, with nearly 200 works by artists from 50 countries. The event reaffirms its role as a leading platform for contemporary glass art in Bulgaria and worldwide, founder and art director Konstantin Valchev told the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

Since its launch in 2017, the biennale has been attracting more and more artists and audiences, establishing itself as a forum for artistic exchange and cultural dialogue. Under the motto “Together,” the National Gallery’s Kvadrat 500 will showcase an impressive selection that brings together established and emerging artists, multiple generations, and a wide range of techniques, the organizers said.

Highlights include works by Czech artist Vaclav Cigler, a pioneering figure in optical glass and conceptual sculpture; a blown-glass piece by world-renowned American artist Dale Chihuly; a mythologically inspired vase by Italian Murano master Lucio Bubacco; and a spatial analytical piece by Dutch artist and architect Han de Kluijver.

This year’s edition also features several notable collaborations: a French-Bulgarian residency with artists Clara Rivault and Plamen Kondov at CIRVA in Marseille, New Bulgarian University and the National Academy of Art; a guest exhibition from the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wroclaw; and the participation of finalists from the Glass Cutting World Cup in Svetla nad Sazavou.

BTA is a media partner of the event.