Style.Uz Art Week: exhibits galore

October 22, 2013

Style.Uz Art Week comes with a wealth of artistic thought put into exciting and thought-provoking exhibits that are on display at the Seventh Tashkent International Biennale of Contemporary Art. Also presented are several installations and photo exhibitions.

Video installation ‘Triptych… Architecture.Music.Dance’ (Alikhan Photography for Fund Forum)
‘Triptych… Architecture.Music.Dance’ is a unique video installation created by photographer Alikhan with support from Fund Forum. The photographer is credited with previously creating another unique project, ‘Generations Pass, Traditions Remain’, that went on display as part of Uzbek Culture Night in Moscow in June this year.

Video installation ‘Triptych… Architecture.Music.Dance’ puts a new perspective on Uzbekistan’s cultural legacy that forms part of the country’s original identity. While changing under the influence of time and views, the aspects of Uzbek cultural legacy retains unique features that have inspired generation after generation and drawn thousands of art enthusiasts to Uzbekistan. The sizeable installation, 5 meters in height and nearly 2 tons in weight, presents a fusion of tradition and high technology.
Midway through the creation process of the project, Gulnara Karimova, the Chairwoman of Fund Forum’s Board of Trustees, expressed hope that the installation, featuring transformations of national Uzbek patterns and dances, and the music, would make a lasting impression on the viewers.
'Weltformel - Theory of Everything' installation by Japanese artist Nariko Yamamoto
Amidst the plenitude of artworks, exhibits and installations, there is a multifaceted and striking series of works titled ‘Weltformel – Theory of Everything’ by Japanese artist Noriko Yamamoto. Each piece demonstrates minimalism and simplicity, with the artist expressing a message through a collection of books and geometrical shapes.

Each composition conveys a message и общую гамму идеи обо всем. Moreover, the minimalism in the works allows for flight of imagination and guesswork as to what the artist seeks to express through a particular creation. The dominating element is paper, which comes in the form of a cardboard Christmas tree, with circles replacing decorations. It is like an interpretation of how someone makes mistakes, struggles to handle obstacles and ends up with making an ultimate decision. Step by step, the person gains wisdom and invaluable life experience thanks to the lesson learned.
Equally noteworthy is an exhibit similar to a rectangle that brings together a collection of books. A book is presented as a source of knowledge, spiritual food and thus spurs inner growth. The installation by the Japanese artist reveals new facets of modern art, with the simple, yet profound and thus through-provoking details.
British artist Nick Sayer’s exhibition
British artist and graphic designer Nick Sayers embellished the first day of Style.Uz Art Week 2013 with his extraordinary sculpture, ‘Zero Waste’, made from 12 black bin bags pumped with air, showing a unique geometrical figure.

Commenting on the installation, Sayers said: “Essentially it’s full of nothing; it’s just a sculpture of air. I make mathematical sculptures from recycled materials, I’m always looking at different everyday materials, to make new sculptures, it’s always like a puzzle, so you know I think the challenge here is that a bin bag is the definition of rubbish and unwanted things, but it’s taking in and turning out into something precious and spectacular, sort of magic”.
Nick Sayers makes spheres and geodesic domes out of recycled objects. ‘Show Home’, for one, is a liveable geodesic shelter dome, a project that he started in 1992. He relies on recycled or re-purposed materials in his work. Among his unusual creations are ‘Zero Waste’ inflatable installation, Hyperbolic Coffee Cactus and a lampshade made of 58 Coke bottles among others.
Traditional Art, Fashion and Design Exposition
The major exposition offers a treasure trove of art ranging from modern clothes, shoe wear, perfumery, cosmetics, and accessories to interior design, jewelry showrooms and innovations by leading brands.

This year the part of the exposition dedicated to Uzbek traditional presents various types of Uzbek applied art items created by members of IJOD Association of Artists, Art Critics and Craftsmen, young masters and artists who have emerged as winners of ‘Navqiron O’zbekiston’ (Young Uzbekistan) Festival of Traditional and Contemporary Art and Kelajak Ovozi (Voice of the Future) Talented Youth Contest. The exhibits have a feel of original artistic tradition that has been preserved throughout centuries.
The exposition includes a stand, ‘Innovation and Creativity’, featuring works by a group of students from Tashkent Institute of Textile and Light Industry and the University of Central Lancashire, UK.