March 31 – April 20, THP
“Let’s Have a Laugh” Humour Festival held under the motto “The World Survived because it Laughed” was organized by the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan (AAU), the Artists’ Union of Uzbekistan, Mushtum Magazine and the Tashkent House of Photography. The exhibition presented the works of famous cartoonists, including those rated among 100 Best Cartoonists and mentioned in the Great Encyclopaedia of Cartoons. In the framework of the festival there ran improvised exhibitions of humorous posters and catalogues, contests for cartoonists, caricaturists and wits, and the show of humorous films and slides.
March 31 – April 20, House-Museum of Ural Tansykbaev
Over 60 items were presented at a personal exhibition “IN PLENO” that introduced the audience to the art of Kuziev-Latypov family. Ceramic platters and decorative candleholders wrought by Nazira Kuzieva, landscapes by Nigora Latypova, cubism style drawings and art photography picturing urban landscapes as seen by Anvar Latypov were quite a success.
April 1-10, THP
“Taming the Light” was the title of an exhibition of young photographers from Tashkent, Ruslan Akhmetov and Dmitry Omelchenko, organized by the Academy of Arts and the THP, which demonstrated 60 works in the style of lightography – a new trend in contemporary art, which represents a symbiosis of photography and drawing.
April 2, Westminster International University
The “Culture of the World’s Nations” exhibition displayed books, pamphlets, photographs, painting, sculpture, textiles, items of applied art and traditional lifestyle, musical instruments, as well as installations and video art, telling about everyday life, culture and beliefs of people from countries such as Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, UK, Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan, and France.
April 4-9, THP
The presentation of a photo album “Asian Cosmos: Symbols of Asia” and the eponymous exhibition organized by the AAU, the Ministry for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU, UNESCO), the National Commission for UNESCO of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the Tashkent House of Photography displayed some ancient beneficial visual symbols of China, Indonesia, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Uzbekistan, which are considered important historical and cultural artefacts.
April 7, The Ikuo Hirayama International Caravanserai of Culture
Students of the State Conservatory of Uzbekistan, soloists of the Navoi State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, as well as teachers and students of the Republican Vocational School of Arts performed at a charity concert organized by the AAU in memory of people perished in the earthquake and tsunami that affected the east coast of Japan.
April 8, the Memorial Garden-Museum of K. Behzad
The exhibition-contest for miniature painters and young artists titled “Sohibkiron bunyodkorligi” (“Creative Activity of Sahibkiran”), dedicated to the 675th anniversary of Amir Temur, engaged members of the Academy of Arts and the Artists Union of Uzbekistan, leading representatives of Hunarmand Association, students of the Behzad National Institute of Arts and Design, the Nizami Tashkent State Pedagogical University, the Tashkent Architecture and Construction Institute, students of the Republican Residence Lyceum of visual and applied arts, and others. Winners received diplomas and memorable prizes. The event was organized by the AAU, the Amir Temur International Charitable Foundation, the Hunarmand Association of Uzbekistan, and the Artists Union of Uzbekistan.
April 8-25, CEH
At his personal exhibition, “The Poetry of the Soul”, Hakim Mirzaahmedov presented 140 of his works: still-lives, landscapes and portraits. 23 works had already been exhibited before, while the rest were shown to the public for the first time.
April 12-30, THP
The photo exhibition of Hernan Lorenzo (Argentina), “Outer Space”, organized by the Academy of Arts and THP to mark the 50th anniversary of the first manned flight into space, presented a series of photographs consisting of three groups: “Pioneers”, “Warm Confrontation” and “The Perils of Space”, showing the little-known chapters in the history of space flights.
April 12-30, THP
The THP together with the Tashkent Architecture and Construction Institute presented the young people’s exhibition, “Stihi…i” ["Poetry and .../Elements"], which included 65 works created by the students of the Architecture Department, who had experience in the field of art photography and video art. Photographs came with inscriptions in vers libre, providing the key to understanding the four depicted elements: water, earth, air and fire.
April 12-30, THP
Organized by the AAU and the THP, the exhibition “Earth, Man, Space” dedicated to the Day of Astronautics, displayed postage stamps of ten countries; the specimens covered the history of space exploration and featured prominent figures in astronautics. The Tashkent House of Photography also hosted an exhibition of traditional embroidery, consisting of fifteen different palak of Tashkent, Jizak, Urgut, Kokand and Surkhandarya, showing stylized images of sky and luminaries.
April 15 – May 25, THP
“My Dream”, the personal exhibition of Khonzodabegim Gulmirzaeva, the 9-grade student of the Republican Residence Lyceum of visual and applied arts, presented graceful sculptures of animals, images of female ballet dancers and gymnasts frozen in plaster, romantic fantasy compositions, as well as water-colour paintings and drawings.
April 21-25, CEH
“Azamat va Azamatlar” was the title of an exhibition organized by the Academy of Arts and the Central Exhibition Hall as part of the “Fine Arts Week + 5″; it demonstrated 16 graphic works of Azamat Hatamov, the famous sculptor and teacher at the Behzad National Institute of Arts and Design, and 30 sculptures wrought by his students in different technique.
April 21-25, CEH
Contest-exhibition “Mehring bilan yashayman, Vatan” (“I Live Loving Thee, Motherland”) held in the framework of the “Fine Arts Week + 5″ was dedicated to the upcoming 20th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s Independence, which is marked this year under the slogan “You Are Dear and Sacred, My Homeland, Independent Uzbekistan”. The jury and visitors appraised the works of the students of the Behzad National Institute of Arts and Design, many of which were awarded prizes and diplomas.
April 22 – May 3, THP
The AAU and THP organized the 9th reporting exhibition of the graduates of the Creative Photography School Studio; the exhibition presented about 70 works, including portraits, urban and rural landscapes, and family themes.
April 27 – May 27, FAGU
“Reflection”, Jamal Usmanov’s personal exhibition, incorporated projects such as “Pharmacy”, “Cinema”, “Reflection”, “Birthday”, “Dream”, and “Maternity Home” showing painting, sculpture, installation and video art. The Reflection theme was behind the idea of the exhibition, showing the diversity of life’s embodiment on earth, the key the concept being its infinity.
April 27-29, Moscow
A diploma “For Supporting the Contest” was awarded to the Behzad National Institute of Arts and Design for submitting its students’ works in the Graphic Design Category and its participation in a non-competitive exhibition held in the framework of the Design Olympics of the CIS countries. Diplomas were also awarded to E. S. Komarova for preparing and running of the “Miniature” exhibition, and H. R. Aminov and U. N. Nurtaev for their active participation and support to the contest.
April 30 – May 1, Bukhara
During the “Asrlar Sadosi – 2011″ Traditional Culture Festival (“The Echo of Centuries – 2011″) organized by the Forum Foundation local archaeologists delivered master classes, and a book “The Epigraphy of Uzbekistan’s Architectural Gems” was presented; the program also included a conference of filmmakers, a traditional costume festival, an exhibition of applied and visual arts, and folk group performances.
April 30 – May 1, Nadira Divanbegi Madrasah (Bukhara)
“Dedication to Bukhara”, the Arabic calligraphy exhibition of Fuad Koichi Honda, Japanese scholar and one of the most outstanding Arabic calligraphers of our days, displayed paintings inspired by Arabic ligature.
May 3-31, THP
Timed to mark the Day of Memory and Honour, photo exhibition “To Remember” organized by the Academy of Arts and the Artists Union in Uzbekistan presented over 80 works of the country’s photographers who worked in the second half of the 20th and the first decade of the 21st centuries, namely Dmitry Mikhailov (1936-2004), Valentin Yermakov (1937-2011), Oleg Zozulya (1943-1996) and Marina Bogatyryova (1961-2010).
May 3-31, THP
A meeting of generations, “Keep the Memory”, organized by the AAU, the “Sen Yolghiz Emassan” National Children’s Foundation and the “Memorial Alley” National Public Foundation was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s first hosting of children from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Poland and the Baltic republics during the Second World War. An exposition opened as part of the meeting presented about 40 paintings by Uzbekistan artists, including graduates of the Tashkent special orphanage for gifted children who were evacuated to our country during the war.
May 5-14, FAGU
The personal jewellery exhibition, “The Azure of the Silk Road”, of Yun Kyon Ah, the South Korean artist and metalwork master, demonstrated her 30 works in the style of traditional Korean painting on rice paper, reflecting the tradition of Korean art, specifically, the Hwayodo (birds and flowers) and Chechungdo painting (herbs and insects), as well as decorative metal compositions and jewellery made of precious and semiprecious stones, embodying in the images of animals and flowers.
May 5, The Ikuo Hirayama International Caravanserai of Culture
The Bust of Ikuo Hirayama (by sculptor Rustam Ermetov), the internationally renowned Japanese artist, patron of arts and traveller, decorated the Friendship Garden. In our country the artist’s talent has been recognized by awarding him the title of the Foreign Member of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan (1998) and the Gold Medal of the Academy of Arts (2002). For his special contribution to the strengthening of Uzbek-Japanese relations Ikuo Hirayama earned the title of Honorary Citizen of Tashkent.
May 5 – June 30, FAGU
The “Terminated Flight” exhibition in memory of Mukhtar Ablakulov, a remarkable sculptor and gifted poet who passed away on May 5, 2010, demonstrated 22 sculptures and 10 poems vividly reflecting the diversity of his talents.
May 6-19, The Ikuo Hirayama International Caravanserai of Culture
“The New Generation of Traditional Japanese Ceramics” exhibition organized by the Embassy of Japan in Uzbekistan together with the Japanese Foundation and with support from the AAU in the cultural cooperation framework exhibited over 70 unique works by 35 masters representing seven major Japanese centres of ceramic production of different trends that employ modern forms and techniques, while preserving the original traditions of the craft.
May 6-22, CEH
To mark the Day of Memory and Honour, the AAU organized an exhibition of the 2011 jubilee artists, displaying paintings, drawings and sculptures of Uzbekistan’s artists who stood at the origin and helped develop the visual arts school. One of the exhibition sections was dedicated to the dynasty of artists and pedagogues Victor Sosedov and Ludmila Manova whose life and work were connected with teaching, and their daughter Evelina Sosedova who maintains the family tradition.
May 18, CEH
To celebrate the Museum Day, in front of the Central Exhibition Hall 32 painting banners were installed, showing the fine art masterpieces from the collections of the world’s best museums, including local ones. There was also a ceremony to award diplomas and gifts to museum workers, teachers and students of the Museum Administration Department of the Behzad National Institute of Art and Design.
May 24, Shakhrisabz
The beauty of Shakhrisabz, its people, streets and squares, architectural monuments and madrasahs could be seen at the exhibition of Kashkadarya artists organized jointly by the AAU and Shakhrisabz City Hall in honour of Independence Day and as part of the events marking the Day of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan. Guest artists in Shakhrisabz were the Chamber Orchestra conducted by Victor Medulyanov.
May 26, Ukraine
Kiev hosted the signature of the Agreement on Cooperation between the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan and the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation in culture, art and science. Under the five year Agreement the parties intend to share experience and knowledge on methods of bringing up the new generation of young artists, as well as on issues of mutual interest.
May 27 – June 15, HYPA
“The era of new ideas is global, polysemantic and abstract” – this is the interpretation of the title given to the “Enigma” exhibition of artist Nigora Sharafhojaeva. The exhibition showed paintings and installation projects creating a peculiar world of actual art.
May 30 – June 20
The traditional exhibitions presenting the works of children from 5 to 14 years old from different children’s art studios, marking the International Children’s Day were held at various exhibition venues in Tashkent: at the CEH – “Peace to Planet Earth” and a personal exhibition of F. Basharova “The Caravan of Tales”; and at the HYPA – “Tales of the World”, displaying more than a thousand works, including paintings and applied art items created by the students of children’s art schools, art centres and painting studios of Tashkent.
June 6, THP
Medals and certificates were awarded to 14 young artists of Uzbekistan – the students of residence art schools in Namangan, Kashkadarya and Navoi Provinces and the Republic of Karakalpakstan and of the Tashkent Nafis Sanat (Fine Arts) Lyceum – the winners of the Shankar International Children’s Art Contest held in India in 2008.
7-10, FAGU
Amazingly beautiful exposition of “living” flowers and “still” solid ceramics was presented to the public by ceramist Anush Avakyan and florist Ruben Sahakyan at their personal “Circle – Square” exhibition. The outcome of their joint work were about 20 compositions demonstrating the unity of shapes, volumes and interacting textures, which enabled taking a different view upon ceramics and floral design.
June 15 – July 15, HYPA
Organized by the “Forum” Foundation and the HYPA, the “Colour” exhibition of the young artists’ creative team called “CIRCLE AND …” presented eight projects that expressed the most subtle human emotions through eight colours. Together with the authors – Temur Rakhmetov, Oksana Ivanenko, Andrei and Anastasia Chaplenko, Elmurat Halykberdiev, Maya Rozhkova, Nigora Latypova and Oleg Holodnyakov – visitors could see tenderness in pink, passion in red, development in yellow, youth in green, air in blue, creation in purple, patience in brown, and naturalness in beige.
June 15
The Ikuo Hirayama International Caravanserai of Culture hosted a ceremony of presenting the Ikuo Hirayama Award in the field of archaeology to young specialists who made academic and practical contribution to the development of archaeology. The ceremony was organized by the AAU, the Embassy of Japan in Uzbekistan, the Ikuo Hirayama Foundation for the Great Silk Road Museum, and the Ikuo Hirayama International Caravanserai.
June 16 – July 16, FAGU
The “Arabesques” personal exhibition of the Samarqand artist Toir Sharipov presented more than 60 works – paintings, drawings, embroidery, as well as a rather unique form of art such as quroq. The source of inspiration for the artist is traditional Uzbek textiles.
20 – 27 June, CEH
Personal exhibition “Dedication” was a tribute to the memory of Veniamin Akudin, a recently passed away master who used to work as chief designer at the Puppet Theatre. 15 dolls and over 60 paintings, including landscapes, urban sketches, portraits, and fairy tale production sketches are only a small part of what the artist had been able to do in his lifetime.
June 21, THP
In the framework of the “Art City” inter-regional project initiated by Goethe Institute in Tashkent and in another seven capital cities of the CIS there ran a simultaneous contest titled “Art in Open Space”; the participants were tasked to create an artistic idea of a temporary installation or an “art intervention” in an urban or public space. The best projects in which the authors presented the theme of urban ecology, the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan, eternal being and human spiritual development were displayed at an exhibition. The winning contestant, Sardor Babaev, earned a trip to Germany.
June 21, The Ikuo Hirayama International Caravanserai of Culture
The Caravanserai hosted a presentation of the book by famous Japanese scholar Hiroaki Furusho, “The Origins of Japan”; based on the latest archaeological materials the book studies a vast historical period – from the primitive man’s passage from Africa to the country of the Rising Sun, to the time the land became known as Japan.
By Dinara Shamukhamedova