New technologies in the art of KazakhstanKazakhstan is backward country. Despite of this sad fact, our aspiration to come abreast with the world is looked through in all spheres of public, economic and political life rather brightly, but, unfortunately, more often — at a level of imitation. At appeared, at last, opportunity to even with situations in other countries, result obstinately testifies not in our benefit. We should catch someone up all time, and in culture the given phenomenon even has received the proud name "the accelerated way of development". So, for example, declaration of an axiom that during XX centuries our fine art "has represented", actually, all history of art of Europe from, to say, classicism and baroque up to computer art, gives us, art-experts, ground for thoughtful reasonings on the special way of development of the Kazakhstan art. Actually here it is not enough good, because on "the special way", as a rule, two ditches wait for us, in which we jam a long time: any innovation of the artists at once are called "secondary, scandalous, hooligan"; and the next stage of making theories is the giving to the same, but becoming already habitual, innovations such flattering epithets as "outstanding", "talented", "native", etc. And we live — on a joint of constant denying and in any time of an absolute recognition and almost canonization. Last one occurs especially intensively in connection with death of the artist. The truth, Kalmykov "waited" almost forty years. Shardenov with Aitbaev waited less long. The first artists of video of Kazakhstan in the majority are even alive, though how to not mention died in 2000 Shai-Zia? On the other hand, the one artist, who felt necessity and had possibilities (though already it is possible to speak "talent") to work in system of network art - Sergei Maslov — already has died. Hence, all conditions are observed and they are rather comfortable for reasonings on art of technologies, new to Kazakhstan, though, again, for the world these were already recognized and tested technologies. On the other hand, and glory to the God, that the Kazakhstan video - and computer art totals in the history a maximum ten years, differently it was necessary to get in jungle of the Union of Artists, of a history and problems of management of art at the Soviet authority. To be absolutely honour in definition of temporary frameworks, the history of art of new technologies is determined by 3-4 last years, and that is basically, for Kazakhstan it is valid art of XXI century — and thus we already have both good video art, and electronic music, and computer art, and electronic editions. As Alim Sabitov wrote in the collection "Art life of Kazakhstan", video art in Kazakhstan (as however, and all over the world), has appeared in connection with availability of the camera and necessity of fixing of "alive" art — performances and actions. As NamJunePaiks of ours, in this sense, we can name numerous and till now not systematized works of Shai-Zia; on the contrary, well described and carefully stored, basically by efforts of the artist himself, work of Rustam Khalfin; described in the article by Almas Ordabaev, but not kept video-support to installation "The Babylon Tower" by Galim Madanov; the first attempt of work with video-installation by Sergei Maslov, for which he has awarded by the title of the "odious" artist (there is for his version of the "Bodyguard" with Whitney Houston); didactic films-fable by Marat Sagitov. It is necessary also to note the contribution of movie men in business of development of video art in the country. In an annual festival, conducted by them, "Look in a new way" permanently there was a section of video art. And, though all of our time we argued — whether "their" is this art or "ours", the result was won by the friendship, exactly — the modern art, aspiring to synthesis with using the self-production in its approaches: music, sound, plastic, colour, word, programming, direction, composition, and all the required special, professional knowledge in all these areas. The development of new technologies in the country, as, however, any innovation in culture, was promoted by the numerous training programs of various institutions of the third sector: very first, in 1996, was the initiative of Fund Soros-Kazakhstan, headed by Vanda Hall, under the name "Independent video ", in which the artists Almagul Menlibaeva and Zitta Sultanbaeva have taken part, except for the directors and operators, also. The project lasted three years and the results are appreciable till now. In 1999 SCCA-Almaty was carried out the year training "WEB design for the artists", seminar "History of art of XX century" , the lectures about modern art of Great Britain, Scandinavian countries, Japan are read, that in many respects promoted occurrence of multimedia arts in Kazakhstan. In 2000 the association "Most" had organized the master-classes and exhibition of media and video art, the gallery "Kokserek" has made the videoproject "Kazakhstan 3020", SCCA-Almaty has carried out the seminar "History of new media", training year course "Laboratory of new media" and - with the help from Fund of Freidrich Ebert - workshop of Sergio Borelli "Video art of Kazakhstan and new ideas for TV". In the beginning of the next year SCCA has issued the first CD-ROM — catalogue of an exhibition and carried out the seminar "Network art project". But it was, to say so, individual, rather spontaneous strategy. At the same time, after within the framework of the 2nd Annual exhibition of SCCA the rector of the Estonian Academy of Arts Ando Keskulla has read lecture about training the new media of the students of art high schools, the idea of base education to art of new technologies has penetrated into spaces of Kazakhstan. The common efforts become more purposeful and systematic. As well has come the understanding that, except for humanitarian character of use of new technologies in art, they have the large practical importance — in particular, art ideas, produced by the artists of new media, in very short time become property of the widest layers of the population through television design and advertising, this means that we have the advantage of such art. This fact has paid shy attention on itself from some progressive state and commercial organizations, though the third sector here again is in the lead. In 2001 the program "Culture and Art" of Fund Soros-Kazakhstan has carried out the Summer Video Art School, within the framework of which were carried out the practical exercises on shooting and installation of experimental films, SCCA-Almaty has created the workshop on making of the teleprograms, in which the students of various creative specialties are engaged, and the Karaganda centre of modern art Desht-I-Art has made the penetration of art of new media into the Karaganda University, by inviting in the lecturers Olga Shishko from Moscow Media Forum. The director I. Piskunov creates on The Small Stage of Lermontov Theatre performance "Tango" after the play by S. Mrozek, in which are to use virtual situations, overflowing in real scenic action. The artist Marat Sagitov tries to introduce idea of virtual theatre on State scenic platforms of Almaty. The process gradually is included creative high schools. In Kazakh State Academy of Architecture are entered the courses of computer science, at the faculty of architecture in Astana Gumilev University are learning class of the program Corel Draw. Any of unknown films are making at the Kazakhstan Art Academy, in Institute of Theatre and Cinema they have created department of clipmakers. There become more popular and very visited cultural websites "Almaty Art", "Russian Asia", "Arba", "News of SCCA", "Altyn Orda", galleries "Tengri Umai", "Fonkor", "Asia Art+", "Sezhire". For last two years the artists of Kazakhstan in the majority participated in foreign exhibitions basically through media- and videoprojects. So, the videofilms by Rustam Khalfin were shown at exhibitions in Moscow, Toronto and Valencia. Half, if not more, of projects making the exhibition "No Mad's Land" in Berlin, were just video, or video or media-installations. The videoworks of Erbosyn Meldibekov, Zitta Sultanbaeva and Ablikim Akmullaev had appreciable success at the exhibition "Political Art " in Prague. Within the framework of the project Odessa SCCA "On the Spot" was held the premiere of film by Marat Sagitov "Press-clipping". Eventually, when everyone has terribly bothered with mosaics and dullness, undergroundness and dim condition of multimedia art, Government of SCCA-Almaty was decided to collect all the works together, to arrange a festival under the bureaucratic name "Inventory", to award the best films, and then on rest to discuss about the matter: is it art it or not. So, May 23-24, 2002 this event was held. Probably, it has not become event of a rank the Documents, but has given much food for reflections, proof to that are disputes, arising already during viewing, and discussions. First, geography pleasantly has surprised - Almaty (of course), Karaganda (already is logical), Shymkent (too, it is logical) and Rudnyi (is simply great!). So it is possible to ascertain that the centres of development multimedia arts, conducting laborious enlightening work, resides, except for the large cities, and in Rudnyi, small town, where only three persons — Alla Girik, Oksana Oberemko and Igor Katchaev, united in the magazine "Pygmalion", keep step with global world processes. On the other hand, it testifies that remoteness and isolation can play also positive role — the stronger aspiration them to overcome, the stronger need in new technologies, the more aspiration to take possession of users' skills. By the way, the given postulate can be attributed to entire country, in which the new technologies develop extraordinary quickly, and the reason of that is all the same remoteness from the centres of world culture and information. Secondly, abundance of new names was surprising. After realization in SCCA of the experimental year course "Laboratories of New Media" in 2000, there was an impression that in Kazakhstan there will be no any more new artists, because any of the students has not remained in space of art — except for, maybe, Vika Gvozdikova and Roman Arefiev, practically all participants work in TV design, advertising, programming. Especially impressing there was an effect of occurrence at the festival of such strong names as Natasha Kim (Karaganda), Yulia Levitskaya (Almaty, 3rd premium), Valery Kaliev (Karaganda), Anya Petukhova and Alexander Bakanov (Almaty, 1st premium), Valery and Maxim Zadarnovsky (Almaty, 3rd premium ). In third — and here we at last also have reached — discussions there were interesting. Their greatest quantity has dropped out on a share "Antibutya" by Shai-Zia, " Lover Races" by R. Khalfin, "Media-Aitys" and "Asian Route" by Zitta Sultanbaeva and Ablikim Akmullaev, "Without the name" by Saida Atabekov, "Mes" by Askhat Akhmedyarov, "Eternal bride" by Almagul Menlibaeva and Renat Kosai. All honourly tried to understand what is the video art on their example. Shai-Zia's "Antibutya", created in 1994, for the first time was shown at an exhibition "No Mad's land" in Berlin in 2002. It is the documentary story about a boy who casually came on charitable distribution of New Year's gifts, accompanied by a drama song "The House of Rising Sun". During ten minutes the camera attentively traces shades of feelings on the face of the child expecting holiday, but not having invitation with him. The film comes to end by exile of the juvenile infringer from charitable office. Concerning "Antibutya", has inflamed the dispute on an opportunity and impossibility of statement and provocation in media kinds of art. The director Bulat Atabaev, who declared that what documentary or provocative would be the film, main is that it touches outvoiced all. "It is art itself" — has declared the outstanding director of ours present, thus imprinting "Antibutya" forever into history of art of Kazakhstan. Reasoning about "Lover Races", they came to a conclusion that all attention of the spectator is focused on a dilemma "will fall love pair from horse on ground or not" and have offered to shoot the next series on a theme of modernity by using, for example, bonnet of foreign car. Nevertheless, despite of irony caused by frank erotic stages "Lover Races" was once again declared about importance of presence of Khalfin in art space of Kazakhstan: he is first theorist and expert of modern art trying in all its genres - of installation, performance, environment, video art. In connection with discussion of a cycle of videoworks of Khalfin the director of documentary films Vladimir Tulkin has returned to "Lover Races" and was set by a question of where during shooting was the operator, causing new dispute, this time - about the copyright distributed also on "Mes" of Akhmedyarov, and on "Landscapes of a body" of Renat Kosai. The problem is valid difficultly soluble, because in multimedia art are involved the large groups of the people of different specialties- artists, directors, programmers, musicians, operators; and the necessity of development of any rules of mutual relation, regulating them, already is rather sharp. Narrative works "Media Aitys", "Asian Route" and "Eternal bride" basically were stacked in definition "social art". The first film is recounting about already becoming geopolitical division of Almaty town as top and bottom, about change of the social statuses and, anyhow, about beauty of that and of another. Formally there is something of average between a video clip and documentary video accompanying with two musical themes. Close to "Media Aitys", "Asian Route" tells about occurrence of new, well-overlooked profession of inviter to trip and about some secrets of the professional skill. In the civilized countries it is enough to hang out a sign. At our place it is necessary orally, and as it is possible louder, to convince the passenger of appeal of a route "Sayakhat—Green Bazaar". The authors of film together with the spectator have chosen boy Nurik, with whom toured about town in support of a drum of Ablikim Akmullaev. About "Eternal bride" has expressed the designer and employee of embassy of France Morgan Segui: "If all people were such as the heroine of film, the world has become much better". By showing in general very western, Diderot's approach to the nature of art, nevertheless Moran Segui was correct: by the majority of votes in jury "Eternal bride" has risen on the lawful 2nd place among the winners. Though in connection with an abundance of narratives in the "Bride" there was an aggravation of discussion on a theme of what is the video art. Sharply by polar became the opinion at viewing work of Said Atabekov. Someone considered that it is simple fixing of performances of the Kyzyl Traktor in a mode of strobe, someone — oppositely has found rather talented his feeling of a rhythm at use of video refrains, of absolute concurrence of a musical phrase and images, of powerful esoteric charge and of sensation of an ancient photo of those archaic times, when a photography was not yet. Erbosyn Meldibekov, Sergei Maslov and Sasha Ugai did not participate in the festival. All it was for the valid reasons. In particular, Meldibekov — because of what his videoworks are very lengthy, of 60-minute, long examinings of stages of the people's tortures, and supposing demonstration on small monitors. Nevertheless it is a very characteristic product of just video art from Kazakhstan. The works of Meldibekov "Pol Pot" and "Pastan" have the very concrete social contents. But nobody and never will accuse them of an abundance of narrative. Senses, associations, allusions, metaphors, the parallels are born themselves. "Pol Pot" is when we slowly and with "pleasure" we can examine heads of the people dug in ground, or among a heap of stones — ones caught in boot-trees. It is about our Asia, which, pressed down by a cargo of ignorance, dullness, indifference, cannot get out from the stillstand. It is about the state machine, which does not give the people to breathe freely. And about East despotic. And about separate person who's knocked down by own problems. And about Veretschagin. And about "oriental" advertising of the Incombank. Well and so on. Other film, "Pastan" is when the man in skullcap simply sits beaten on cheeks during one hour. A backside of "Pol Pot" is when you're pressed, but you bear it. You're beaten, and you are silent. Similar ideas I met only at artist from Serbia Melica Tomich. In the severe countries the art is severe. But Serbia and Kazakhstan are not yet most terrible. In Afghanistan, for example, in general any there is no art at all — no modern, nor already even of old. And the people live accordingly . Work by Sergei Maslov "Baikonur-2" is the computer installation. Stands yurta, only re-arranged to a rocket, and inside of it is computer, and on its monitor are demonstrated "space" pictures. He used ancient ethnographic photos, supplementing snapshots of traditional Kazakh family by a figure of cosmonaut, then of rocket "reconstructed" in the form of yurta, and then imperceptibly transforming kimeshek into space-suit. As sound support has served one of most ancient kyuis "Aksak-Kulan", played on saz-syrnai, clay penny whistle, found on excavation of ancient Otrar. The sensation appearing from examining created by computer images with sounds of archaic melody is really cosmic. Such occurs only at contact with deep olden time somewhere in a hall of Ancient Egypt or probably in laboratory, in which has appeared cloned sheep Dolly. His next project Maslov wanted to make also virtual, wishing with the computer's help to answer a question: what have told the great people whom are established the monuments to in Almaty, about Kazakhstanians of XXI century. For example, Abai or Pushkin. In the project "Speaking Monuments" there was such plot: granite Abai by Kh. Naurzbaev descends from his pedestal, approaches to a booth, stands in a queue, towering above it, and buys a pack of the newspapers. Then sits down on a bench, and, by looking through all newspapers, sighs: "Oh, the Kazakhs. My poor people." Sergei was always very ironic, though the irony is inherent to our young artists more. Sasha Ugai is from Bishkek, therefore at the festival of video art of Kazakhstan he could participate only as the spectator. But when for the first time I have seen his "Tea Ceremony", I have been in full delight. So, it was easy and elegant, and nobody worked like thus in Kazakhstan yet. Wee, Sasha and his comrades simply have bothered "adult" eastern tea-drinkings. With ceremonies of taking seats, too much talking, pouring tea with "respect". So they have made a mad parody, but, probably in care, transferring a place of action somewhere in Japan, about what the costume of the character and music (too rather mad) should testify. The hero, after sedate sitting with cup - piala - foolishly begins to jump up, to fall, to make idiotic movements and eventually overturns the cup and teapot, leading up "ceremony" to the point of irrationality. Short work of 2 minutes is made in black and white on "antiquarian" 8-millimeter film, because really Japan of first half XX century was closed, poor, undeveloped country being on a threshold of war and social accident. The film of the brothers Zadarnovsky "Chipolino" is ironic, in this they reason on the Hollywood, Latin American and advertising standards which have come in collision with our ordinary life; a witty parody to film of "patriarchy" Khalfin has made Ablikim Akmullaev ("2002 on Horse"), and gradually our art gets rid from very serious, tensioned attitude to itself. The period of disputes has passed about whether is the modern art necessary for Kazakhstan - for young this question does not exist any more. They are interested not with an opportunity of presence, but presence of opportunities. New technologies for them are reality, as well as extended world, and all of them are great experts both in "hardware" and in the English. Confirmation to that are the work of Vika Gvozdikova, Pavel Ovchinnikov and Kostya Timoshenko "Chaosgenes", work of Anya Kadenich and Alexander Rubanov "Dream Catcher", work of Natalya Kim "Fight", demonstrating perfect possession of the programs 3D MAX, Adobe Premiere, Macromedia Flash. Naturally, the wounded senior comrades correctly specified that, despite of set forth above advantages, art in their works still is small. Especially, it was strange that four minimalist films of the owners of the First premium, Anya Petukhova and Sasha Bakanov (" Time white, orange", "Figures of Almaty", "24 pink", "Frost, and sun, and the United States of America ") have not caused long discussions and disputes, both in Jury, and in public - they are simply have entranced public in delight. The young artists were so laconic and original that no one wanted to reason - art is it or not. Simply, it was most interesting work. A new sight on all. The city is a numbering of houses, Pushkin is foreteller of greatness of America, time is not money, but people. It would be desirable to act contrary to a popular saying, by beginning for dying but to finish for health, glorifying youth as the future of the country, by noting as though casually that from young as early as one nobody has died, and consequently they can be abused, to not notice and on former to pretend, that art of new technologies in the country does not exist. Those unfortunate cultural SPOs, which render the support, too, are not eternal. And with what sense they will do for the country that it is not necessary for the country? At one time SCCA gave to several museums TV-Video-sets specially for exhibiting the video art, but the museums prefer them to not expose, and to store - mainly, in management rooms. In such case there is a question - where the Kazakhstan artists working in new technologies have to be exposed? The answer is simple "there", for enough, out of here, where them love, know and respect, where some ones give the grants, teach, exhibit and publish. I shall allow myself to notice: young artists do not carry at all themselves to naive old guards of the members of Union of Artists, and will not wait, like Koreiko, for return of socialism. They will leave in the design, in TV, in advertising, in business, and really will leave: the English versions of their works are not only mark of their advantage, but also of ability to be claimed on the international stage. Also there will not be in our country neither art, nor artists, as that is made per 90s years in modern culture, our state had not and did not wish to have of any attitude. Supporting extremely traditionalism, it here already ten years works over the project "Country without the artist". Thing our officials try to give out for an art actually is a set of tactical decorative elements mercilessly maintaining achievement of painting and sculpture XVI-XIX of centuries, some Potyomkin's villages, but in any case not a product of spirit and intellectual potential of the country. It is possible to attribute this basic state line of perspective development of culture of Kazakhstan for XXI centuries, certainly, to new technologies in management of culture. On a rhetoric question, which all ours intellectuals ask themselves: why the state does not support that culture, which does not repeat backs, and on the contrary, experiments and searches for new ways, and as main thing - is interesting to the inhabitants of the country, and which they want to do and do; the answer remains the same: to be considered as culture and art can only that is nominated as the state. For example, the film "Intim" is not art but pornography. It is a shame to tell, but a monument for national heroines worth on the Old Square (Staraya Ploschad) in Almaty is not pornography but art. "The Clay man" by Khalfin in the order on its destruction was named as dust, and for tactical needlework of the Shimkent branch of Union of the Artists the chief "of the historical project" has received a rank of the Deserved figure of culture. The films and videoworks of our famous directors and artists are not popular on the Kazakhstan TV, but the propaganda cinema about beauty of Astana, made in dull style of the 70s years of the last century with maniacal persistence shows almost on all channels. Promoting by the state this traditionalism is directed on creation of false shape of the country: we simulate and impudently maintain an another's history, creating on a threshold of XXI century baroque horse monuments being indispensable attribute of the European city in XVII-XVIII centuries, we paint "historical" pictures, characteristic for Russia in XIX century, "we wash out brains" by films peculiar to the Soviet time, when the art was used for creation of an image of happy Arcadia. Thus the urgent art of the 90s years reflecting on ours own life and our society created on the Kazakhstan material, completely has dropped out of a field of sight of ours officials - as well as all undemocratic communities, our state is interested by the truth about itself a little. But in twenty-thirty years it, at last, will come round, and will give back the order, that art of new technologies begins to be considered as art. The perfected mechanisms will begin to work: to create and to catch up, not paying attention that to this time the new art ideas will appear also, and it is valid the newest technologies. The urgent themes will not beat so sharply in eyes any more, the young artists will grow old, and the old new technologies will become clear even to the officials. Probably, the exhibitions at a governmental level will be arranged, and lost works will get to be going in National Videotheque named after Shai-Zia, "Eternal Bride" will exhibit in Moscow on Decade of art of Kazakhstan, and "24 pink" even will show on TV . Sergei Maslov will appropriate a rank of National video-artist of Kazakhstan ... We shall be again thrown to catch up caravan gone for a long time. It is impossible, really, by a decree to enter in a history of art magnificent light-dancing celebrations conducted in Astana. The backwardness of our country consists not in absence of technologies - they are just already rather advanced sphere, but in disrespect for the people, disbelief in the artists, scientific, writers, businessmen, indifference in relation to new, modernly conceiving generations .. The artists-actualists who reflect concerning realities of their modern life and using technologies, new to their time, - Leonardo da Vinci (Italy), brothers van Aikes (Holland), Pushkin (Russia), Andy Warhol (USA) and our contemporary Bill Viola (USA) - were recognized as the outstanding foremen even at life. So in those states there are own prophets. Therefore they also have remained in a history of all-world culture. Kazakhstanian Mukagali Makataev became has become known in the own country in 60s years after death, Kalmykov, as was already spoken — after 40 years, Shardenov and Aitbaev — after 15 . Ours developing, hightech intellectual society is in the contradiction with political feudalism and primitive cult of ancestors. And, while we execute the order that the art is a horse bronze, in the people more and more and more gets stronger a reliance that before the end of innovational state project "Country without the artist" remained not a long time. And then — discotheque and dances! Valeria Ibraeva backrussianNews Fresh | Archive
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