Выставка
Zhaiykpen korisu
On September 3, “Zhaiykpen korisu” (meeting Zhaiyk river) exhibition of young artists opens in Atyrau. The exhibition is the final stage and the final event of the art residence named “Frontier. Atyrau Chronicles” of the YEMAA Center of Contemporary Culture. The residence took place in the period from August 1 to August 31 in Atyrau. The general metaphor of the art residence was the concept of the frontier. The subject of the exhibition will be the image of the Zhaiyk River. Exploring the cultural context of the western region of the country, in search of a metaphor for the city of Atyrau, the artists settled on the image of the Zhaiyk River, which “remembers” and connects the past, present and future, talking about which we inevitably say something about Atyrau. The artists searched for this metaphor for 30 days: during the monththeir attention was directed to the topic of the frontier and the search for a metaphor for both the western region as a whole and the Atyrau’s urban space in particular.
Frontier is a once popular concept of American historiography, introduced by Frederick Turner at the beginning of the last century, at various times it was used in a variety of different and sometimes contradictory meanings. At the same time, the frontier focus is aimed at studying the boundaries in the construction of the social reality. First of all, it is a space of contacts of different cultures, different economic and social systems. Within the framework of the residence, the emphasis was placed on the cultural frontier of one region – the cultural frontier of Atyrau, which is reflected in the final projects of residents.
The historical and modern background of the city distinguishes Atyrau from other cities and makes it a significant place and field for research on the concept of the "frontier". During the month, young artists were offered a rich educational program with lectures and master classes, field research was conducted on the public spaces of Atyrau. The impressions received from the legends and stories heard during the expeditions to Mangystau region and Saraishyk settlement, information from excursions to Atyrau regional museums, peripatetic walks through the Old City of the pre-revolutionary period, the Zhilgorodok district associated with oil production contributed to the full disclosure of the topic. Thus, the participants of the residence managed to trace the historical and spiritual connection of the Kazakh worldview and the natural landscape of the western region, traces of colonial processes before decolonization on both sides of the Zhaiyk River, the transformation of public spaces and various fronts of Atyrau, both in the study of everyday life and in art.
It is important to note that this is the first experience of participation in the residency for young artists. The YEMAA Center of Contemporary Culture, as well as JasSpace, provided an opportunity and space for the creation of interdisciplinary projects. The art projects of young artists presented at the exhibition were created using different materials in new media and traditional techniques. However, they are united by the desire to express their vision of the western frontier on the banks of the transborder Zhaiyk River as an interweaving of the past and future with the present.
Curator Adiya Ramazanova
