AN EXPERT EVALUATES CENTRAL ASIAN ART TRENDS
1/3/01

The collapse of the former Soviet Union had a devastating impact on arts and culture in Central Asia and the Caucasus. The creative processes of artists, writers and musicians have suffered as they have struggled to adjust to market realities. In addition, the popular market for arts and culture has contracted, as the general population now has fewer resources to devote to leisurly pursuits. Despite the difficulties, some artists persist in creating new works. Irina Yuferova, owner of the Voyager art gallery in Almaty, Kazakhstan, spoke to EurasiaNet about the latest trends in the Central Asian art world.

EurasiaNet: What difficulties do artists face? Do they have problems supporting themselves?

Yuferova: Yes, that is why some of the artists try to produce so-called commercial paintings, and at the same time spend some time on developing new projects. Others apply for different grant programs. But unfortunately there are few organizations that are willing to support modern art. Most of them work with educational programs, or in the social field. That is why I believe that organizations like the Soros Center for Contemporary Arts [based in Almaty] is very important. It is one of the only institutions in the city that supports artists. … The Soros Center for Contemporary allows artists to get much more information, as well as provides opportunities to travel abroad.

The low living standard is one of the problems that we face. Another problem is the lack of government support. The state declares and promises many good things, such as a democratic life, and a sovereign state. Yet, in reality, officials still rely on old Soviet methods in their approach to the arts. … Generally speaking, there are several trends in the arts in Kazakhstan. There is commercial arts, focusing on the average demand, as well as aiming at foreign customers. In addition, there is a new group of local collectors who already understand that impressionism and earlier modernism are part of the arts. As for the state it still tends to support arts in the style of socialist realism. Therefore, all these new ideas receive little [state] support.

EurasiaNet: Where does Kazakhstan stand within in Central Asian art trends?

Yuferova: Compared to other republics of Central Asia, Kazakhstan is much more developed. … In such countries as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, mainly due to political reasons, the modern arts have not even started developing yet. Our artists have participated in numerous exhibitions. Furthermore, representatives of "Kyzyl Traktor" [a performance art group] have visited Latvia and Slovenia. Meanwhile, the group "Kok Serek" participated in Art Forum in Berlin. Also, Mr. Rustam Khaifin and Ms. Yliya Sorokina took part in Art Myth in Moscow. … I can notice a growing interest in the World Art community toward Eastern culture. As you may know, at the beginning of the century we saw the same trend toward studying Japan and other Asian cultures. A lot of researchers left their homes to study cultures that were not touched by [Western] civilization. I hope that, taking into account the high interest in the Eastern cultures, our artists … will continue to find a common language of communication with the world community.

EurasiaNet: What kind of new ideas you can foresee in the field of arts particularly in Central Asian region?

Yuferova: I think it is very important to say that modern artists in their works always find ways to connect their new ideas and new technologies with a so-called aura or particularities of the Earth. While they are aware of yesterday’s developments, they pay close attention to the main current problems and changes. For instance, there is "Kyzyl traktor," which incorporates elements of shamanism into their performance art. Indeed, Rustam Khajfin, who is a member of this group, tries to create the figure of a nomadic person and his view of life in his works. There is a tendency among modern artists to express themselves in modern ways, in order to be understandable by the entire world. At the same time, they try to express the particularities of this region, about its mentality, and about traditional forms. I think this trend is very important because it allows our artists to achieve compatibility in the world [art] market. … We were isolated for a long period of time from the latest and newest ideas occurring in the world arts. And only after all these political changes our artists got chances to use "new" language.

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Posted January 3, 2001 © Eurasianet
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	The Central Eurasia Project aims, through its website, meetings, papers, and grants, to foster a more informed debate about the social, politcal and economic developments of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is a program of the Open Society Institute-New York. The Open Society Institute-New York is a private operating and grantmaking foundation that promotes the development of open societies around the world by supporting educational, social, and legal reform, and by encouraging alternative approaches to complex and controversial issues. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Open Society Institute and are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.