Little Bird Place Gallery is pleased to invite you to the exhibition THE RODOPE FABLE by internationally acclaimed artists Zachari Logan (Canada) and Paula Flores (Mexico/Austria), curated by Denise Parizek (Austria).
THE RODOPE FABLE
An exhibition by Zachari Logan and Paula Flores, curated by Denise Parizek
06.06 – 29.06.2025
Opening night: 06.06 (Friday), 18:00 – 21:00
Official opening: 19:00
See all works from the exhibition HERE!
Zachari Logan and Paula Flores arrived in the village of Leshten on May 27, 2025, for a joint artist residency in the heart of the Rhodope Mountains, culminating in a group exhibition at Little Bird Place Gallery from June 6 to 29, 2025.
Zachari Logan (b. 1980, Saskatoon, Canada) works in large-scale drawing, ceramics, and installation. His practice explores the intersections of identity, memory, and mortality, using his own body as a visual vessel for nature and cultural memory. He has participated in residencies at MQ21 in Vienna, ISCP in New York, and Wave Hill in the Bronx. His work is included in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, Remai Modern, and the Peabody Essex Museum. This marks Logan’s third exhibition at Little Bird Place in Bulgaria, following Bodies of Land (2021) and Secret Nature with Lyuben Domozetski (2023).
Paula Flores (b. Tijuana, Mexico) is based in Vienna. Her multidisciplinary practice addresses the complexity of nature and our often contradictory relationship to it. Working with themes of interspecies communication, migration, and the disappearance of native cultures and ecosystems, her installations use both organic and industrial materials. Her work has been exhibited at the Biennale di Venezia, Vienna Art Week, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and more.
The exhibition is curated by Denise Parizek, an internationally respected curator and long-time director of Vienna’s 12-14 contemporary space. Her curatorial practice emphasizes cross-cultural dialogue and ecological consciousness, connecting artists and audiences across borders.
THE RODOPE FABLE offers a compelling dialogue between the two artists’ distinct yet intersecting approaches to nature, resulting in a unified installation exploring the human place within the natural world.
*The artist and Little Bird Place would like to acknowledge the financial support provided for this project by Creative Saskatchewan.
* The residency and exhibition are realized in collaboration with the Austrian Cultural Forum in Bulgaria.
THE RODOPE FABLE
Knowing and working with Paula Flores and Zachari Logan for many years, an idea of a match emerged in my mind. The idea was to bring these two artists together to realise an exhibition in Little Bird Place. The two artists, the gallery, and I myself are focused on the theme of nature. The residency in Leshten, in the Rodope Mountains, inspired me to research the mountain environment, the plants typical of the Rodopes, and the history of this long-inhabited area.
Paula Flores, born and raised in Mexico, draws on her roots and the traditions of Mexico’s indigenous population. She traces the loss of connection with nature, visualises an alternative view of nature, and entices her audience to immerse themselves in the archaic world through olfactory installations. Paula Flores appeals to all our senses and thus touches deep human emotions. Her relationship with nature felt magical, based on the stories of her grandparents, who introduced her to the human connection to nature and the ancient tradition of living with nature. Their vocabulary was filled with references to nature and all the beings that inhabit it. Herself being from a city, she didn’t fully understand all of these poetic ways of nature that overflow into language, culture, and behaviour. Memories of her childhood and own experience over the years influenced her artistic approach and the resulting works.
Zachari Logan develops a visual language that explores the intersections between masculinity, identity, memory, and place.
Inspired by the strategy of visual quotations from places, artworks, and lived experiences, Logan transforms his own body into an embodiment of nature. This transformation reflects ideas of beauty, mortality, landscapes, and the contemplation of nature. In his drawings and paintings, he merges natural elements with his body, blurring the boundaries. Recently, he has started using worn and painted garments that symbolise the connection between different time layers — like a discarded skin. Iconographically, he references Catholic rituals and painting, which he studied during his travels in Europe.
Both artists work with natural elements, organic materials, and textiles; both draw and create installations. Yet their artistic expressions differ, which I consider to be two separate approaches. This contrast makes the juxtaposition between them extremely interesting and inspires me to create a connection between these two positions through a cohesive installation of their works.
– Denise Parizek
