The Sofianer is a collaborative art project that invites artists from Bulgaria and the world to create a collection of covers of the imaginary magazine The Sofianer as a tribute to the cult covers of The New Yorker magazine. The project aims to celebrate our love for Sofia, to show its bizarre, funny or absurd sides, to give a poetic or unexpected look at the present day, to reveal our dreams for the future and to initiate a public debate about what city we (want to) live in.
The New Yorker was founded in 1925. In addition to its brilliant journalism, it is world-renowned for its iconic covers that say more than 1,000 words. They are brave, funny, bright, and memorable. Sometimes they recreate unique historical moments, and other times they pay homage to the daily life of New York, so much so that thousands of people hang them as posters in their homes. Being a cover artist at The New Yorker is in itself a huge recognition and a dream for many artists around the world.
In recent years, a number of cities such as The Parisianer, The Tokyoiter, Le Montrealer, The Brusseler, The Milaneser или The Shanghairen have created their own imaginary versions of The New Yorker. Giving complete creative freedom to artists, they ask society the question: Where do we live today? Where do we want to live tomorrow?
In 2022, Sofia joined the game.
The initiative is realized by the Credo Bonum Foundation and Multi Kulti Collective.
In 2024, it is realized with the support of the US Embassy in Bulgaria, Mastercard, Sofia Municipality and 5L Speakeasy Bar.