FIDEM 2014, SOFIA BULGARIA

The 33rd FIDEM congress was held Sept 2-6 2014 with the Grand Hotel Sofia as the main venue for the meetings and lectures, and the National Archaeological Museum as the venue for the exhibition of 785 contemporary medals from 443 artists representing 30 countries.

In addition to the main exhibition of medals, there were several additional exhibitions. These included a Student Medal show at the National Academy of Art, a Dutch Medal project show, and group or individual shows featuring the works of Emil Bachijski, Mirena Zlateva, Natash Ratcliffe and Bogomil Nikolov.

In the scheme of things, there were about 140 registered participants, of which some 16 were young artists participating on scholarships provided by the University Museum of Bergen. There were sixteen participating artists and members from the United States. Four gave PowerPoint lectures: George Cuhaj, Cory Gillilland, Mashiko and Ira Rezak.

In addition to the lectures, there was a tour of the Art School studio and foundry; a walking tour of historic Sofia, and a day trip to the historic town of Plovdiv. A medals fair was held where participants could meet artists and see more of their works.

The official congress medal was designed by Bogomil Nikolov. It features the moon and sun on the obverse, and the congress logo on the reverse. Cast bronze, each registered participant received one.

Several books were available for the various exhibitions:

The exhibition catalog is hardcover, 290 pages, color. It lists all participating artists, titles and descriptive data as well as contact information. Not every medal was illustrated, so a disc is included which has images of all medals. No ISBN number.

Bogomil Nikolov, Medallic Sculpture, is the hardcover catalog of his works, and lists 414 of his works, many illustrated in color. Pages are unnumbered, and it is big. No ISBN number.

The Dutch Medal exhibition project included a stitched bound catalog, EEN BEELD VAN EEN PENNING. At 96 pages, it was as creatively done as the exhibition, which featured medals in a display format for visitors to interact with them - touch them. Many were hung (via natural holes in the medals, by rope or wire, in display groups). ISBN 978-90-9028331-9.

This was the first time that the congress registration and activities was organized by a third-party service, the Company for International Congresses, who were selling extra catalogs or medals. If interested in the official catalog, try contacting them at sofiafidem2014.@cic.bg

The next congress will be held the first week of September 2016 in Belgium.

The American Delegation to the 2014 FIDM Congress

L-R: Polly Purvis, Ira Rezak, Mashiko, Lindsay Nonhof-Fisher, James MaloneBeach, Ivanka Mincheva, George Cuhaj, Marie Jean Lederman, Amanullah Haiderzad, Carole Howard, Thomas Gillilland, Cory Gillilland, Anne-Lise Deering, Anthony Nonhoff-Fisher, Leeny MaloneBeach. Camera shy: Eileen Cuhaj.

ABOVE: Leeny MaloneBeach takes a closer look at the display in the National Archaeological Museum, and Bogomil Nikolov, the guiding force of Bulgarian Medalists, and the congress

Philip Attwood, Keeper of Coins and Medals at the British Museum and FIDEM president looks over part of the Bogomil exhibition

For more information, see:
www.fidem-medals.org

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web