Venezia, Veneto May 23, 2024 (Issuewire.com) – Jeriyq: Journey Beyond the Horizon at the Biennale Arte 2024 presents a visionary future where human and non-human entities converge in a reimagined utopia. In our era of postcolonial world status and geopolitical turbulence, mass migration has emerged as a persistent trend. This calls for the reimagining of narratives that have been invisible. This exhibition invites visitors to explore portals into imaginative worlds, space flights, futuristic rituals, and the intersection of topology and algorithms. Showcasing art from Kazakhstani artists since 1979, it reflects the evolution of utopian thought, decolonial futurism, spirituality, modernism, and cosmism. Join us at the historic Maritime Museum for the opening reception of “Jeriyq: Journey Beyond the Horizon”, a transformative exhibition that redefines art, culture, and imagination, celebrating Kazakhstan’s rich heritage in a global context.

Jeriyq is a promised land from the Kazakh legend of the XV century passed down to the present through generations of oral tradition, serving as a metaphor for searching, exploration, improvement, and invisible knowledge. Ancient tales about the philosopher Asan Kaigy tell of his efforts to lead the nomadic people to lands free from disease and hunger, where time grants eternal life.

The word “kaigy” translates from Kazakh as “sorrow.” Common expressions such as “fall into asan kaigy” use this name as a synonym for sorrow. Sorrow, like a thin veil, hangs over the memory of the many utopias that have failed to be realized in the endless steppe, through traumatic encounters with the dark side of modernity: the tragic famine of the 1930s, craters carved out by nuclear test sites in Semey, the desiccation of the Aral Sea, and other scars on the body of the Kazakh land. The exhibition is based on a chronology of key artworks of the utopian imagination of Kazakh artists since the 1970s (“Above the White Desert” – K. Mulashov), through the works of the period of the emergence of contemporary art in Kazakhstan (“Baikonur-2” by S. Maslov) to the present day generative multichannel sound installation (“Presence” – Lena Pozdanykova and Eldar Tagi).

With independence, Kazakh art received a new impetus to reimagine and decolonize the future without deferring to Soviet censorship and the approval of the metropolis. This exhibition presents a collection of works by artists projecting their vision of ideal worlds, where spirits and mystical rituals meet (“Alastau” – A. Musrepov), where nomadism is transformed into space stations (“Mobile Unit” – S. Narynov), and visionary monumental painting that reveals portals to look beyond the horizon of events (“New Child. Rebirth” – Y. Tolepbay). In our time, with its permanent turbulent state, Jeriyq becomes a guiding star on the path to overcoming the crisis of imagination.

“Jeriyq: Journey Beyond the Horizon” aligns with the Biennale Arte 2024 main theme “Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere”, curated by Adriano Pedrosa, focusing on the concept of the “Other” and diverse cultural narratives.

Commissioned by Aida Balayeva, the Minister of Culture and Information, and curated by Danagul Tolepbay with co-curator Anvar Musrepov, the exhibition reflects Kazakhstan’s commitment to cultural heritage and artistic innovation.

Featured artists include:

Kamil Mullashev, born in 1944 in Urumqi, China, a versatile artist with a global presence. After studying in Urumqi and the Surikov Art Institute in Moscow, he now lives and works in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Yerbolat Tolepbay, born in 1955, a key figure in Kazakh fine arts, living and working in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Internationally celebrated, his masterful works deeply connect to Kazakh heritage and have earned him France’s Chevalier Order in arts and literature.

Saken Narynov (1946-2023) lived and worked in Almaty, Kazakhstan, combining architectural and sculptural skills with his passion for science and philosophy. His innovative works continue to inspire.

Sergey Maslov (1952-2002), a pivotal figure in Kazakhstan’s contemporary art scene, based in Almaty. His unconventional methods and myth-infused art have left a profound mark.

The2vvo, featuring Eldar Tagi (b. 1987) and Lena Pozdnyakova (b. 1985), originally from Almaty, now a nomadic art duo based in Berlin. Their work, integrating sound, visual arts and performance practice.

Anvar Musrepov, born in 1994, an artist and curator based in Astana, delves into new media, focusing on the future and identity. His contributions have significantly shaped new media art in the local contemporary art environment.

Date: 17.04.2024 – 24.11.2024

Location: Historical Building of the Museo Storico Navale, Riva S. Biasio Castello, 2148, 30122, Venezia VE, Italy

www.kazakhstanpavilion2024.kz

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