Black Market at PUNTA Gallery Explores Informal Economies in Sofia

PUNTA Gallery in Sofia presents 'Black Market', a group exhibition examining informal economies, underground networks, and alternative flows of goods and information. The show responds to the gallery's location in the Women's Market, a hub of trade and exchange. Artists Gaia Vincensini, Aaron Roth, Slava George (with Daniel Uranga, Yasen Galatinski, Edgar Ugarte, Momchil Genov), Clarisse Aïn, and Nikola Stoyanov probe themes of smuggling, counterfeiting, conspiracy theories, and post-Soviet paranoia. Vincensini's work decodes value systems through symbols like logos and padlocks, referencing Swiss banking. Roth's sculpture uses a car floor mat to comment on border concealment and organized crime. George revisits a 2025 Bulgarian panther escape story, linking it to exotic animal trafficking and far-right symbols. Aïn investigates alternative narratives from Telegram groups and obscure forums. Stoyanov's installation 'The Naphtalene Tapes' references a 2023 discovery of a purported Jackson Pollock painting in a Bulgarian village, involving secret services and actress Lauren Bacall. The exhibition is supported by the National Culture Fund and Institut Français Bulgarie.