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Zamanbap Art
Marat Raiymkulov, Chingiz Aidarov, and Aizuura Bakalova
Zamanbap Art is a tightly-knit community of artists that embraces diverse spoken languages and forms of communication. The group aims to establish connections with individuals from various backgrounds, fostering meaningful communication and organizing exhibitions, master classes, and events not only in Bishkek but also in different regions of Kyrgyzstan.
The group consists of three multidisciplinary artists for whom performative art plays a central role in their artistic practice. They uphold the tradition of powerful art performances known as "набеги" (meaning "raids" or "incursions"), which were introduced by one of the group members, Chingiz Aidarov. Chingiz utilized his own body as a medium for these performances, some of them have been documented for exhibition purposes, and others have been in the form of happening.
In September 2022, Chingiz suffered a stroke and is currently in the process of recovery. Despite his ongoing challenges with reading and speaking, he is dedicated to retraining his brain to regain these functions. It was during this challenging period that the Zamanbap Art group emerged, presenting itself as an artistic endeavor that tackles communication through language, body, and emotions.
Page of the group: https://www.facebook.com/zamanbapart
Заманбап Искусство (Zamanbap Art)
Photo, video installation
Заманбап Искусство (Zamanbap Art) is an art group dedicated to exploring and discussing contemporary art in the Kyrgyz language. Заманбап Искусство (Zamanbap Art) group emerged spontaneously during a casual conversation over a cup of tea. Marat Raiymkulov, Chingiz Aidarov, and Aizuura Bakalova found themselves engaging in broken Kyrgyz, playfully bantering about Bishkek's curators and sharing laughter.
It soon dawned on them that local discussions about art primarily took place in Russian and English, with information predominantly available in these languages. The group confronted the challenge of translating "imported" art terminology into Kyrgyz, as such words were absent from the dictionary. This led them to adopt an approach inspired by the linguistic blend commonly used in village settings, where Kyrgyz and Russian languages coexist.
In essence, Zamanbap Art represents a sincere endeavor by artists who do not possess fluency in the Kyrgyz language to engage in art discourse using Kyrgyz, in whatever form possible. Group embraces a fusion of languages and diverse means of communication.
