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4 th Bishkek International "Boom-Boom" Exhibition

 

Contemporary art in Kyrgyzstan was launched after the coming of independence. Different understandings of artistic methods are being developed. The form has been freed from modernistic styles. The creators of contemporary art have attracted attention by elaborating on social problems, one of the original civic purposes of art in society.

 

The proponents of contemporary art have brought good results through their own personal initiatives:

•  through organization of exhibitions on contemporary art,

•  by participation of Kyrgyz artists in international exhibitions, Venice Biennale,

•  the initiation of the Bishkek Biennale, which is becoming a tradition,

•  and the 4 th Bishkek biennale is already completed.

 

The 4 th Bishkek Biennale attracted a lot of visitors of all generations.

Contemporary art is the new form of mind-dialogue between artists and their audiences. Today in Bishkek are contemporary art centers such as the media art center "ArtEast", studio "Museum", B'Art Center, and the young group Z.A.D.E. and etc.

 

From 23 rd September - 7 October 2008 in Bishkek media art center "ArtEast" and studio "Museum" organized the 4 th Bishkek International "Boom- Boom" Exhibition. The exhibition included all the major expressions of contemporary art - photos, installations, collages, performances, video projects from artists representing countries all over Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe . These exhibitions have spawned good "dialogue about cultural bridges" and they give the impulses and ideas to civil society for the appreciation of our city's cultural life.

The title of exhibition expresses the meaning "architectural (building) boom" but in an ironic way. Today, during this time of new building development technologies, the demand for architects is decreasing, but the exhibition tried to prove the opposite.

 

Is our society ready to refuse primitiveness and tastelessness? The people are not more interest in architectural innovation, they used to adapt to new buildings. That is why the organizers wanted to turn the minds of the townspeople toward a quickly developing problem. The artists are trying to show what is happening to our city. The new high-rise buildings in the city don't make the city attractive but just the opposite. They are making the city monotone, bland, and tasteless. This may please the businessmen but it relegates the architects to the role of actor instead of artist. The architect from Moscow said that within the architecture is important the sense of elegance, style and beauty. "Architecture is not just building. The architecture of a building or city can hide the different poetic and artistic motivations of the builders and designers. It is much more difficult than it seems".

 

The works of art in the "Boom-Boom" Exhibition were just a small example of how we can solve these architectural problems. Aleksandr Lozjkin from Novosibirsk has shown his sketches of the cinema of future and said that, theoretically, any kind of construction would be appropriate. The question remains, is our society ready for this kind of architecture? Is it important to a future reality or just useless fantasies?

 

Elena and Viktor Vorobyev from Kazakhstan presented their artwork in a political context. They used pictures of real things - decorations of Astana city with different stands where it is written, "The energy of personified hope". There is a lot of money, this is an image like brand but actually they don't have energy.

The great idea of the art work "Beauty on the garbage of the city" was displayed by Murat Jumaliev and Gulnara Kasmalieva. The musicians in their nice new suits are seated on the dirty garbage and playing Vivaldi's "Four seasons". The people, who live in that area were looking with wonderment as if these musicians were from another planet. The artists wanted to show the problem of garbage in the city and to call people and government authorities to fight this shameful problem in our community.

 

The photographer from Kazakhstan , Erbol Meldibekov, presented his chosen medium in an album. The pictures were taken over the last 20 years at the same place his family and friends have lived their simple lives.

 

At the beginning of the exhibition on the 23 rd September, we were treated to a performance of CASCOLAND, a group from the Netherlands . The performance was as improvisation in the hallways just at the time when the crowd of people wanted go out and stood in line. Bart Majoor was singing and dancing in the main entrance and saying "It is just a big brothel what I have ever seen". During the exhibitions, they performed many interactive skits and dramas on the streets of Bishkek.

 

So, the 4 th Bishkek International "Boom-Boom" Exhibition is over now, but I hope that the positive emotions from this event will remain in hearts of the people for a long time.

 

Nazira Alymbaeva