From the 21st to the 25th of April 2011 the City of Tashkent, the Republic of Karakalpakstan and all Provinces of Uzbekistan hosted events under the VIII Fine Arts Week + 5.
The events engaged artists, art critics, teachers, students, amateurs and connoisseurs of art. For instance, in Tashkent, before the eyes of passers-by, in the garden adjacent to the Behzad museum an amazing act was unfolding: students of the republican colleges were weaving, drawing, sculpting, painting, wood-carving and spinning potter’s wheels, revealing the mystery of creative process.
This year, the Central Exhibition Hall of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan (AAU) and the surrounding area, the Behzad National Museum of Miniature Art and the Museum of Applied Arts were made available for the Art Week events in Tashkent.
Regular organizers of the Fine Arts Week have been the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan and the Artists Union of the AAU, supported by the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Vocational Education, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, the National Television and Radio Company, the Uzbek Press and Information Agency, the “Uzbektourism” National Company and the “Uzbekkino” National Agency.
The Fine Arts Week + 5 has gone on its festival march through the cities of Bukhara, Navoi, Qarshi, Shakhrisabz, Andijan, Turtkul and Nukus, and visited Surkhandarya, Jizak, Samarqand, Syrdarya and other provinces.
The Oqsaroy complex in Shakhrisabz (Kashkadarya) hosted the “Tasvirlarda san’at boghi nihollari” festival. A tour to the house-museum of Ahad Muzaffarov, one of the representatives of the Shakhrisabz ceramics school; “Zakovat” trivia quiz; a “Journey to the world of knowledge” contest; an exhibition of art work by the students of specialized boarding art school; a meeting with Kashkadarya artists Nemat Mahmaev and Abdunabi Mamadiev were organized. There were competitions in painting, drawing, sculpture and applied arts among the students of the Qarshi Art College, and the winners received diplomas and gifts.
In Surkhandarya Province the Art Week attracted students from the Termez State University and specialized boarding art school in Sherabad, which, together with the Kamolot Youth Movement organized a “Happy Childhood” show-contest. Under the open sky in the foothills of Kugitang an open air session was organized for students attending master classes. There was an interesting meeting with an art critic Rahim Iskandar-Folkin, member of the Artists Association and the Writers’ Union.
In the city of Navoi, in the “Amphitheatre” building, and in the Nurata specialized boarding art school, as well as in Hatyrchi District they organized a gala concert, delivered master classes and held exhibitions of young artists – “Ijotkor Yoshlar” and “Istedodli Yosh Musavvir”; there was a display of traditional Nurata embroidery created by the students from the House of Young People’s Art
Rustam Abdullaev, Chairman of the Composers’ Union of Uzbekistan, noted that the Art Week “enriches person’s inner world, exposes talents, awakens one’s interest in the works of great artists, and gives inspiration. Perhaps young boys and girls who are painting here today in the open air will become famous artists in the future.
The art of painting is associated with musical art as both have an image, space and drama. A melody sounds inside each painting. If an artist is sensitive to it, he is able to create a true masterpiece.
Bobur Giyasov, Executive Secretary of the Writers’ Union, spoke about the long-standing connections between literature and pictorial art, which were developing in parallel, reciprocally complementing one another:
- The Fine Arts Week strongly contributes to the awakening of interest in young people towards art, which significantly enhances their personal development
For five days the area around the Central Exhibition Hall in Tashkent was taken by students, teachers, artists and simply passers-by. By tradition, each day of the Week was dedicated to a certain art form: painting; graphic arts and art criticism; applied arts and miniature; sculpture and design; and young people’s art. Under the Week’s program, art historians participated in roundtable discussions; there were meetings with artists, poets and writers.
Renowned masters the brush, ceramists and sculptors delivered master classes to students in a relaxed atmosphere right in the garden adjacent to the Exhibition Hall. People’s Artist of Uzbekistan, the AAU Academician Bahodir Jalalov, who was awarded the title of Honorary Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts during the Week, said: – The Art Week is a purely Uzbek model. I haven’t seen anything like it in any other country I visited. Art festivals are organized in Europe and in Asia, but what is happening during these five days here in Uzbekistan is a completely different level.
First of all, this event is indicative of the degree of social cohesion, as the Academy of Arts has been supported by many artists’ unions, ministries, agencies, public organizations and mass media. Secondly, the fine arts have reached out to people. The audience can see how artists create paintings and ceramic items, tapestry and sculpture. Thirdly, there is a dialogue between novice artists and already renowned masters. I have to say that our young people are quite capable and, beyond doubt, talented. Every year we get to see many interesting works.
During the Fine Arts Week, there was an exhibition of the works of students from the Behzad National Institute of Arts and Design, titled “Mehring bilan yashayman, Vatan” (“I live with love for thee, Motherland”), dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the country’s independence. The works of young student artists are distinguished by the diversity of styles and excellent workmanship. The best student works were highly appreciated by experts, and their authors earned diplomas, monetary prizes and gifts.
‘I am happy that my photographs have been noticed’, says Zaituna Akhmedzyanova, a second-year student of the art photography and CAD department of the Behzad National Institute of Arts and Design. ‘The Art Week is a wonderful event, where students can benefit from the master classes offered by famous artists, communicate with each other, see the work of college and lyceum students, and simply enjoy an easy conversation in the open air.’
This year, for the first time the Applied Arts and Miniature Day of the Fine Arts Week was held at the premises of the Applied Arts Museum of Uzbekistan. Everyone eager to do so could not only witness the creation of exquisitely beautiful items of applied art, but also get acquainted with the Museum exposition.
The gem of the festival was a fashion show of traditional costumes created by the students of the Behzad National Institute of Arts and Design, and theater costumes made by students of the National College of Arts, as well as concerts of young artists, documentary film shows, and the Puppet Theatre productions.
Teachers, college and university students noted for their valuable contribution to the Fine Arts Week have been awarded gold, silver and bronze medals, diplomas and memorable gifts.
We say goodbye to the Fine Arts Week until autumn, as starting from this year, the festival will be held twice a year – in spring and fall. We hope that the autumnal palette in our students’ paintings will be as vibrant and rich as the vernal one.
Dinara Shamuhamedova