Nina Kovacheva

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Nina Kovacheva (born 1960 in Sofia, Bulgaria) is a French-Bulgarian artist who lives and works in France. She works in drawing, painting, photography, objects, video and video installations. She often collaborates with her partner Valentin Stefanoff, and together they sign works as ninavale. In 2002, Kovacheva and Stefanoff won UNESCO’s annual Prize for the Arts for the installation In the Out, shown at the 4th Biennial of Contemporary Art in Cetinje, Montenegro.

Biography
Kovacheva was born in Sofia and studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia, graduating in 1985. Her diverse practice includes photography, drawing, painting, objects and video installations. She frequently collaborates with Valentin Stefanoff, who is also her spouse; their joint projects are often released under the name ninavale. Their UNESCO prize-winning installation helped bring international recognition.

Selected solo exhibitions
- 2020 Paradise is temporarily closed, God, Kultum, Graz, Austria (ninavale)
- 2019 H2O / 2H2O, 359 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria (ninavale)
- 2018 The Temptations of Ninavale, Sofia-Arsenal, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sofia, Bulgaria (ninavale)
- 2018 0 for Black 1 for White, Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria (ninavale)
- 2017 The Temptations of Ninavale, National Gallery of Macedonia, Skopje, North Macedonia (ninavale)
- 2015 The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain (MAMC), Saint-Étienne, France
- 2016 Gold and Niles, Galerie Heike Curtze, Vienna, Austria
- 2012 The Crying Game, Galerie Heike Curtze, Vienna, Austria
- 2012 Physics and Metaphysics of the Dark Spot, Arosita Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria (ninavale)
- 2010 Surplus Enjoyment, Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, Taiwan (ninavale)
- 2008 Au-delà de ce qui est visible, MNAC National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest, Romania
- 2006 Play for Two Hands and Black, video installation on the façade of the Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria (ninavale)
- 2005 Phases of Accumulation and Extraction in a Limited Space, National Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria (ninavale)

Selected group exhibitions
Kovacheva has participated in numerous group shows around the world, including:
- 2019 Disturbing Narratives, ParkView Museum, Singapore
- 2019 Family Matters, Dom Museum, Vienna
- 2019 Chants d’amour, Galerie DiX9, Paris
- 2018 Intriguing Uncertainties, ParkView Museum, Singapore
- 2017 Aging Pride, Belvedere Museum, Vienna
- 2017 Distinction, Guo Zhong Art Museum, Beijing
- 2016 Intrigantes Incertitudes, MAMC Saint-Étienne, France
- 2016 The Repetition of the Good, The Repetition of the Bad, Neue Synagoge, Berlin
- 2015 Art for Change 1985-2015, City Art Gallery, Sofia
- 2015 Reliqte, Reloaded, Kulturzentrum bei den Minoriten, Graz
- 2013 Der Mann – Nackt, Kulturstiftung Schloss Britz, Berlin
- 2012 The Naked Man, Lentos Kunstmuseum, Linz
- 2011 Drawing in the Age of Fragility, Cabinet de Dessin, Parma
- 2010 Close Encounter, Jeju Museum of Art, South Korea
- 2008 Micro-narratives, Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain, St. Étienne
- 2008 European Attitude, Zendai MoMA Shanghai
- 2007 Portraits, Wet Contact, Face, Zone: Chelsea Center for the Arts, New York
- 2007 48th Micro-narratives, October Salon, Belgrade
- 2005 Two Asias, Two Europes, Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art
- 2004 Cosmopolis, Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki
- 2004 Nuit Blanche, Paris
- 2002 Die Beherrschung der Natur, Kunsthalle, Hannover

Collections
Nina Kovacheva’s works are held in major collections and institutions, including:
- Bibliothèque Nationale de France (France)
- Musée d'art moderne (Saint-Étienne), France
- Victoria and Albert Museum (London)
- Albertina (Vienna)
- Esterhazy Foundation (Austria)
- Dom Museum Vienna
- Kulturzentrum bei den Minoriten Collection (Graz)
- European Investment Bank (Luxembourg)
- National Art Gallery (Bulgaria)
- City Art Gallery Sofia (Bulgaria)

Overview
Nina Kovacheva is known for multidisciplinary work across drawing, painting, photography and video, often created in collaboration with Valentin Stefanoff as ninavale. Her international career includes a UNESCO prize, numerous solo exhibitions, extensive group exhibitions worldwide, and representation in important European and international collections.