The association “Air for Health”, Sofia Municipality and New Bulgarian University presented the photo exhibition “The Air”, with the support of Breathe Cities a global initiative supporting cities to clean the air and enhance public health.
The association “Air for Health”, Sofia Municipality and New Bulgarian University transformed the “Lovers’ Bridge” into a space for dialogue on ambient air quality. The official opening of the interactive photo exhibition from the National Photo Contest “The Air” brought together dozens of citizens and placed a focus on the need for close interaction between the scientific community, the health sector and local government in the development and implementation of policies for a healthier and more sustainable urban environment.
The event finalised a large-scale project of the three organisations, which attracted nearly 900 participants from across the country. The composition, opened by the Mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev, unfolds across 60 panels, combining the artistic perspective of the 40 finalists in the contest with informational panels that reveal the complex relationship between health aspects, science and urban measures for improving air quality.
“This exhibition is a kind of bridge between art, health and governance – the authors look through the lens, while we look through the data and rely on it to plan and implement policies that truly change the environment and improve air quality in Sofia every day. We are actively working through the large-scale replacement of heating devices, control in low-emission zones and intensive greening, in order to ensure a healthier environment for all residents of Sofia,” noted the Mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev at the opening.
A highlight of the exhibition is the presentation of key results from Sofia
Municipality’s clean air policies. Data for the 2025/2026 season show an impressive decrease of 52% in the number of exceedances of particulate matter (PM) standards. Only one month after the entry into force of the restrictions of the Low Emission Zone in 2025, violations in the Small Ring have decreased by 42%. At the same time, within the framework of the municipality’s support programmes, more than 11,000 Sofia households have already replaced their old heating appliances with ecological alternatives, saving the city over 220 tonnes of emissions annually.
The most exciting moment in the event programme was the awarding of the winners. The major awards in the contest were received by Bozhana Markova, photo “Potato Fields near Velingrad” (1st place), Zlatko Latev, photo “Coalman” (2nd place) and Hadzher Hyusein Mustafa, photo “Traffic Jam for Breathing” (3rd place). The special awards of Sofia Municipality – annual public transport cards – were presented by the Deputy Mayor for Ecology Nikolay Nedelkov to Stan Petrunov for the photo “Sofia, submerged in fog”, Ognyan Stefanov for “Artist” and Petyo Georgiev for “Dystopia”.
New Bulgarian University awarded Hadzher Hyusein Mustafa for “Traffic Jam for
Breathing” and Dara Tsinzova for “Scar” with participation in a professional
photography workshop.
Bozhana Markova, photo “Potato Fields near Velingrad”
Zlatko Latev, photo “Coalman”
Hadzher Hyusein Mustafa, photo “Traffic Jam for Breathing”
During the opening, Dr. Alexander Simidchiev from the association “Air for Health” spoke more about the idea behind the initiative: “I read somewhere that air is the life we do not see, and I started thinking how something so important, which we only appreciate when we lose it, remains invisible. So together with the Air for Health team, we decided to implement a campaign dedicated to making the invisible visible through photography,” said Simidchiev.
From the academic community, Dr. Georgi Tekev, Executive Director of New Bulgarian University, emphasised the role of visual arts as a driver of social change: “Photography allows us to observe processes in the city from a new angle, inspiring young people to be active participants in change.” – this quote will be replaced when received from NBU.
