Art Snails Auctioned for Bulgarian Youth

50 per cent of the art snails embellishing the heart of Sofia city were sold out at a charity auction held Jan. 8.

The huge fiberglass symbols of Bulgaria's slow but steady progress towards the European Union were conceived of by French artist Isabelle sol Dourdin and Artamontsev Art Gallery, and painted by some of the most famous Bulgarian artists, such as Gredi Assa, Milkana Meskin, Rossen Rashev, Yassen Prahov, Yovo Yovchev, to list but a few. The artists have all presented their interpretations of the Snail Art message "Everywhere at home!"

Auctioning the snails fetched BGN 8,000 into a special UN-Bulgaria bank account funding micro projects in support of disadvantaged youths. This grant scheme became operative in 2004 when the UNDP in Bulgaria, private businessmen from the Global Compact network and Ideo Saatchi & Saatchi launched the Love Bridge Initiative in benefit of young people. It will be namely the Board of that project that will decide which micro projects are to be supported with the money raised at the auction. Recently the project financed a boxing club for teenagers suffering from exclusion, and a study room for 50 children who do not have enough space at home to do their homework properly.

The snails were bought by private investors mostly. The most expensive snails were sold at a unite price of BGN 1,900 (those painted by Gredi Assa and Tsvetan Lazarov).

Snail Art is held under the aegis of Bulgaria's First Lady Mrs. Zorka Parvanova.

For more information on Snail Art, visit www.snail-art.com.