Balgarianovinite.com More than 60,000 visitors have seen MINA Sofia, a visiting Romanian show called Museum of Immersive New Art (MINA), during its first year in the Bulgarian capital, said the show’s co-founder and manager Sorina Topceanu, speaking to BTA. Sofia is MINA’s first location outside Romania.
MINA is an immersive art space where art, sound and technology merge to transform internationally popular visual stories into 360-degree experiences. In Sofia, it is hosted by the Serdika Center, a shopping mall on Sitnyakovo Boulevard. Visitors enter a digital environment featuring projections and an original soundtrack, showcasing both the work of artists such as Van Gogh and Monet and themes related to history, nature and imagination.
During the first twelve months of MINA Sofia, visitors have included families with children, young people and school groups, and older citizens experiencing immersive art for the first time. According to Topceanu, the experience of the first year has already provided a clearer picture of the local audience and of the themes and experiences that appeal to it.
“One of the most important things we have learned is that Bulgarian audiences are extremely open to different types of content when it is presented through an immersive experience,” Topceanu said. According to her, familiar themes are often the initial reason for a visit – a famous artist, dinosaurs, space or ancient civilizations – but it is the experience itself that sparks curiosity and a desire to return.
MINA Sofia has so far presented immersive versions of the work of artists such as Van Gogh, Monet and Kandinsky, and productions devoted to space, dinosaurs, the ocean and the ancient world. When selecting themes, the crew starts with the interests of its audience, seeking to understand what sparks its curiosity. Specialists in the relevant field – lecturers, curators and other experts – are involved in the creation of each production.
“Their perspective helps us understand not only which themes are current and significant, but also how they can be presented in an engaging and accessible way,” Topceanu said. The team then looks for ways to transform the story into an immersive format through imagery, animation, sound and narration, without losing its connection to the original subject.
According to MINA’s co-founder, a cultural experience should not have to choose between accessibility and substance. The difference lies in the intention, she said. Technology can create spectacle, but spectacle alone is not enough. At the heart of every MINA production is a subject that we want people to discover – an artist, an artistic movement, a scientific idea, a historical period or a story worth telling, she explained.
“The immersive format allows us to bring these subjects closer to people who otherwise would not choose a traditional museum experience,” Topceanu said. If visitors are drawn in by the technology but leave wanting to learn more about Kandinsky, Ancient Egypt or the oceans, then the format has fulfilled its purpose, she said. “Technology is not the end goal. It is a means – another possible path to art and knowledge,” she added.
During its second year, MINA Sofia will continue to present new immersive productions and themes, while expanding the ways in which the space can be used and experienced. Educational programmes, partnerships and special events will be among the highlights.
After the first year, the team has a better understanding of the local audience, which, according to Topceanu, allows the programme to be developed specifically for Sofia rather than simply transferring models that have proved successful at other venues. “Our aim is for MINA Sofia to develop its own rhythm and recognizable identity, while remaining part of the wider MINA network,” she said.
One of the lessons from the first year has been the need for more precise programme structuring. Initially, different themes were combined within the same time slot, but the team subsequently found that individual shows attracted different types of audiences with different expectations and motivations.
“Today, we know our audience much better, so we approach both the combination of shows and their allocation to individual time slots much more precisely,” Topceanu said. According to her, this seemingly minor organizational detail has a significant impact on visitors’ overall experience and is one of the most valuable lessons from MINA Sofia’s first year.
“We don’t want MINA to be a place you visit once and never return to. New shows, different themes and a programme that combines art, science, history and content for children give audiences a reason to come back and discover something different each time,” she added.
Sorina Topceanu is co-founder of MINA – Museum of Immersive New Art, the first immersive art centre in Romania. She has more than eight years of experience in developing artistic projects and works to promote new media art in Romania. Her focus is on creating cultural experiences that combine art, technology and education and reach a broad and diverse audience.
The current programme in Sofia includes the shows “Monet”, “Kandinsky”, “Dinosaurs”, “Ancient Egypt”, “Gods of Olympus”, “In the Heart of the Ocean” and “Space”, which also features archive footage from Bulgarian National Television (BNT). MINA also offers special events, including multisensory experiences, immersive yoga sessions, children’s workshops and immersive sound relaxation. Romania’s MINA Immersive Art Show Draws 60,000 Visitors During First Year in Sofia 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-08-20 14:41:48 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
