Sasho Voletov - Tutto passa

I was born in Sofia, where I currently live and work. I hold a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mural painting from the National Academy of Arts in Sofia. I have participated in solo and group exhibitions, festivals, and biennials in Bulgaria and the United Kingdom. In 2022, I had the privilege of being a resident in the residency program at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.

About the Work:

"Tutto passa" оr "Everything passes" in English is a common Italian phrase used to describe the transience of life, meaning that all experiences—both good and bad—are temporary.

A surreal and thought-provoking artwork portrays a Venetian gondoliere standing in a shopping cart rather than a gondola, gliding over an expanse of bare concrete pavement. The image balances absurdity with melancholy. Тhe piece invites reflection on how modern life repurposes inherited cultural identities. The absence of water—a symbol of flux, uncertainty, and organic movement—replaced by rigid concrete, raises questions about whether modern existence has traded spontaneity for control, or living tradition for functional efficiency. The gondoliere continues performing his role despite the disappearance of the environment that once gave it purpose. In doing so, he becomes a metaphor for the human condition: individuals carrying forward rituals, identities, and aspirations even when the cultural landscapes that produced them have fundamentally changed.