Vadim Fiškin / Yerbossyn Meldibekov

Aspan Gallery is pleased to present Vadim Fiškin | Yerbossyn Meldibekov: Relationship of Coinciding.

Aspan Gallery continues its series of exhibitions-dialogues of Central Asian and international non-Western contemporary artists. The new show Relationship of Coinciding features works by Kazakhstani Yerbossyn Meldibekov and Russian-born Slovenian artist Vadim Fiškin, who are being exhibited in Central Asia for the first time.

Vadim Fiškin will present his famous installation miss Christmas (2012), among other projects. In this work we see a bucket of black paint and its shadow, yet there is a disconnect. There is a ghostly palm tree growing out of the bucket's shadow, but in reality there is no palm. The object and its shadow do not correspond. Upon closer inspection we begin to notice that the shadow is a projection of a video of a gently swaying palm tree. This trickery makes us reflect on the nature of art. Fiškin takes the basic elements of visual arts – light, shadow and colour and completely rethinks their relationship to one another, placing a contradiction at the core of the work.

While Fiškin's works demonstrate the artist's interest in new technologies, Meldibekov investigates the disconnect in the history of Central Asia. For example, his installation the Seasons in the Hindu Kush (2008-2010), consisting of colourful metal cookware, tells the story of the changes in the political system of Afghanistan over the last 60 years. Meldibekov compares the changing seasons in the mountains of the Hindu Kush to the various political regimes- monarchy, Daoud's republic, the Communist military dictatorship, the Mujahedeen, the Taliban and the American military authorities.. In his other projects Transformer (2013) and Pedestal (2016-2017) the artist explores the history of public statues in Central Asia, which were changed with each ideology change. Meldibekov presents the story of monuments that replaced each other on one square in Tashkent in the form of a modular toy, which can be configured into the real monuments that existed in the past. This way, by playing with the Transformer the viewer can experience personally a century’s worth of history of the enormous region of Central Asia.

Despite the obvious differences in their geographical location and artistic strategies, both artists share a programmatic interest in scientific research, whether relating to natural phenomena or historical facts. The artists may use different forms to present their findings, such as performance, video, installation, however the result is always humorous and poetic at the same time. The element of surprise in the works of Fiškin and Meldibekov makes their work similar to a children’s game or a magical transformation.

Aspan Gallery has published an exhibition catalogue with an essay by Istanbul-based art-critic and curator Ali Akay.

The exhibition Relationship of Coinciding will take place at the EXPO Villa, Villa Boutiques & Restaurants (140A Al-Farabi, Almaty) 24 April – 3 June.