Although Bishkek is a small, Central Asian nation, it is fast establishing itself as the creative hub of the region.
Apart from providing an 1800 square-metre space for events, master classes and seminars, the two-storey, new Asanbay Center also has a gallery, a designer shop, a book shop, a cafe and a Georgian restaurant upstairs.
There's a a huge HD screen and a viewing platform where vintage European films are screened. (Kazakh media have recently visited the centre, complimenting Bishkek by calling it the Berlin of Central Asia).
Aida Sulova, a graduate in digital communications and media from New York University, is the project manager and curator at the Asanbay. She has been involved with the project from the beginning.
In a country where there is no tradition of philanthropy and cultural patronage, Sulova works hard to convince her Kyrgyz compatriots that culture is important. Her brief includes fundraising with Bishkek businesses to ensure that art events and workshops are free. The exhibition schedule is full for all of 2018.
It is the perfect venue for Tashkent-based Dilyara Kaipova's 1200 exhibition. The title is derived from the number of threads across the fabric she has used for the pieces.
The exhibition further explores Kaipova's themes of using traditional Uzbek arts to comment on mass culture and cultural globalisation.Pieces include European-style clothing as as well as Uzbek chapans (coats).
The exhibition is open until 18 March at the Asanbay centre, 21a Aaly Tokombaev, Bishkek. Phone for directions, as it is not in the main city centre - tel:+996 775 979 500.
You can follow the artist and contact her via
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dilyara.kaipova
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazy_for_ikat/
If you can't get to the Bishkek in time, please enjoy the images below.
Related posts: Dilyara Kaipova Strikes Again at the International Applied Arts Festival, Tashkent
The Fantasy World of Uzbek Textile Artist Dilyara Kaipova
Robert Rauschenberg: Samarkand Stitches
