Crossroad – the
price of choice
Exhibition of the icon painter Dian Kostov Votivkirche Cathedral,
Vienna 16.05 - 04.06.2023

Presentation

Crossroad - the Price of Choice of the icon painter Dian Kostov is a conceptual exhibition of over 70 icons, posters and murals, which will take place in the Votivkirche Cathedral, Vienna. It aims to recreate the search for harmony and trust in difficult times and to turn it into an awakening experience for visitors.

The installation Crossroads - the Price of Choice will start from the entrance of the cathedral and will welcome the visitors, showing them a circular movement, symbolising the opportunities that we face. The cathedral will be divided into three parts. Each part will have its own message and will bring different experience:

Where are we going?
The road
Who are you? The price of choice

In the first part of the exhibition, we will be asked the question "Where are we going?" It will recreate the dynamics of the time in which we live and our desire for possession and consumerism.

Mirrors will be placed in many places as part of the exhibition, so that visitors can both "meet” and "face" themselves.

The second part will be dedicated to "The Road". There you will be able to see the author's original works, along with posters of his murals.

It will be located in the central nave of the church and will house all the icons, and the 10 commandments of God in the form of a picture. Canvases with an image of the sky will be placed on the both sides. Birds creating the illusion that they fly will cover the entire ceiling of the space.

The third part of the exhibition will begin with a crown of thorns, under which a mirror will be placed. After that, a short film will be screened on a monitor. In the film, the question "Where do you feel God?" will be answered by small children, elderly people and eminent professionals in the field of science.

The last highlight of the exhibition will be the installation "Who are you?". The viewers will be able to stand in front of it, as if in front of an internal altar, asking themselves the most important questions before the eyes of the God.

History

The author Dian Kostov was invited by the priest Dr. Farrugia to present his exhibition in the Votivkirche Cathedral as early as 2020. The pandemic made it impossible to implement the idea at that time.

The invitation was renewed for the next two years and the presentation of the exhibition is already underway.

The exhibition will be opened on 16 May.

About the Votivkirche Cathedral

Votivkirche Cathedral in Vienna was consecrated on 24 April 1879 and is considered to be one of the most important neo-Gothic sacred buildings in the world. It was erected after the attempt on Franz Joseph I on 18 February 1853, as a sign of gratitude that the emperor survived.

The nearly 30-year restoration of Votivkirche Cathedral is currently underway, and the exhibition Crossroad - the Price of Choice is one of the first events that will take place after the scaffolding inside the church is removed.

Über Dian Kostov

Dian Kostov is a Bulgarian icon painter, both popular for his icons and murals, and for his projects in the field of modern art, presented in Bulgaria and around the world. His works have been exhibited in world galleries and are owned by collectors from Europe, USA and Japan.

Kostov strives to create author's iconic images in which symbols of the time in which we live present. With his works, he poses some of the eternal questions to his contemporaries.

Other projects

In 2019, Dian Kostov was selected from among hundreds of candidates to participate in the XII World Biennale of Modern Art - Florence with his installation "Who are you?”

As a kind of continuation of the installation Who are you?, Dian Kostov created the work Holly Mother of God - Protectress, which he presented to the team of Pirogov University Emergency Hospital as a gesture of gratitude to the physicians for their efforts during the pandemic.