The exhibition is a symbolic homage to the work of the legendary “Plovdiv Five”: Georgi Bozhilov – The Elephant (1935–2001), Dimitar Kirov (1935–2008), Yoan Leviev (1934–1994), Encho Pironkov (1932–2025), and Hristo Stefanov (1931–2013). Known as “the magnificent ones” and drivers of the artistic “thaw” of the 1960s and 1970s, they left a lasting mark as a “school” of bohemians and revolutionaries who changed the face of art beyond the boundaries of the official doctrine.
The exhibition is curated by Svetlana Kuyumdzhieva. The graphic and exhibition design is by Nikol Decheva and Krasimir Stavrev.
This event, which marks the 90th anniversaries of Georgi Bozhilov – The Elephant and Dimitar Kirov, as well as the memory of Encho Pironkov, sheds new light on the five masters. They will be presented not only as easel painters but also in their significant role as monumental artists. For the first time, a portion of the original collection of projects for monumental works, preserved in the archives of the Ivan Vazov National Library, will be shown to the public. These sketches and designs reveal how “the Five” elevated monumental art beyond mere architectural decoration toward bolder solutions, creating the phenomenon of “easelization” and turning Plovdiv into a center of this art form. Their artistic vision—weighty like an “elephant’s step,” yet beautiful—remains essential to the urban environment of Plovdiv to this day.

The event is carried out with the support of the Municipality of Plovdiv.