A new look at Central Asian art – painting exhibition opened in Ashgabat

The exhibition of paintings “Contemporary Art of Central Asia through the Eyes of a Private Collector” was ceremoniously opened at the Nadar Gallery of the French Institute in Ashgabat.

The works of artists from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are presented here. The project is a unique opportunity to look at contemporary art of Central Asia through the prism of a private collection, collected without any pretensions, solely according to the personal preferences and interests of the collector.

“No ambitions!” is the motto of this exhibition, the organizers noted.

Director of the French Institute in Turkmenistan Roman Gouverné explained to a correspondent of Turkmenportal:

"As has become a good tradition, we strive to show what others may not show. In March, for example, the “Nadar” Gallery hosted a new version of the Escape exhibition, "Digital Generations." Today, we present contemporary Central Asian art from private collections. Since not all people can see the collections of private collectors, we decided to show it to a wider audience. There are paintings by Central Asian artists of the 20th century and our time. We did not include works by artists from Turkmenistan on purpose – they are well known and appreciated in the country. We decided to offer Turkmen people the opportunity to discover new subjects and names."

The exhibition features works by renowned masters such as Tatyana Glebova, Zelimkhan Saidzhanov and Andrei Krikis, whose works have shaped the art schools of Central Asia.

The voices of contemporary artists - Alexander Barkovsky, Anna Ivanova, Bakhtiyar Serkekeev and Zlata Beord - sound no less bold and confident in the realities of today. All the artists presented are united in their desire to seek a new language within the framework of tradition or in spite of it.

Information about each of the artists presented can be found here at the exhibition.

The opening of the exhibition became a real cultural event for the country, attracting the attention of the city’s creative intelligentsia, famous artists, and journalists.

Azat Annaev, art critic:

"The exhibition is interesting because it presents a large time span - from artists of the 1940s to the present day. Each of them has their own view of modernity. In the paintings we see a reflection of the life of the people of Central Asia, but the artists see it in their own way. Some people present a complex problem that requires a solution on their canvases, others look at the world with a happy child's gaze, showing that they live among interesting people, enjoy this atmosphere of simplicity and patriarchal way of life. But all the paintings radiate the image of Good, the desire for truth."

The exhibition "Contemporary Art of Central Asia through the Eyes of a Private Collector" at the Nadar Gallery will be open until September. Don't miss the chance to discover a new perspective on things!