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Water Hedgehog
Stefan Nikolaev
- Name of work: Water Hedgehog
- Author: Stefan Nikolaev
- Created: 2024
- Мaterial: extruded aluminum, colored coating, water system
- Size: 450/250 cm
Water Hedgehog
Inspired by the “readymade” concept of Marcel Duchamp’s Bottle Rack (1914), Nikolaev enlarges the symbol of the industrial world – the bottle - drying rack – and turns it into a fountain, evoking festivity and abundance. Reminiscent of the Bulgarian ritual of pouring wine from a fountain, Water Hedgehog invites the viewer to reconsider the boundaries between tradition and modernity, everyday life and art.
About the author
Stefan Nikolaev (b. 1970, Sofia) lives and works between Paris and Sofia. He studied at the École nationale supérieure des beaux - arts, Paris, and at Winchester School of Art, UK. He has represented Bulgaria at the Venice Biennale (2007) and has taken part in the biennials of Lyon, Gwangju, and Cetinje, where he received the UNESCO Prize. His works have been shown at Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris; Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Kunsthaus, Zurich; Mucem, Marseille; White Box, New York; and are held in collections such as K11 MUSEA, Hong Kong; Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar; Sofia City Art Gallery; and ARTER, Istanbul.
So why a fountain? Because it's not just a fountain - it's a spring. Whether spring, fountain or well - it flows cyclically it delivers life. For me, it was vital to bring this idea of cyclic birth, of life bursting forth. Yes, we call it a fountain, but maybe it's fifty springs that run. The point is - life flows.
