Tracing Roads through Central Asia

Central Asia is a region in transition, remaking itself following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and struggling to define itself amidst its influential neighbors—China, Russia and the oil-rich nations of the Middle East. A new generation of artists from this region is creating work that is notable for its powerful imagery, original language and a profound political awareness. This exhibition, co-curated by Elena Sorokina, explores the complex relationship between the process of nation building and the political nature of historical memory in the work of a handful artists from Central Asia and surrounding regions. Rather than highlighting regional or ethnic archetypes, the works on view focus on the social and geoeconomic issues facing these countries and their people. They analyze the fresh and fanciful forms of ethnic identity currently en vogue, new-old forms of representation of political power and the rise of ethno-nationalist heroes, pointing up how societies change and individuals survive. Artists include: Vyacheslav Akhunov, Said Atabekov, Muratbek Djumaliev and Gulnara Kasmalieva, Erbossyn Meldibekov, Alexander Nikolaev, Alexander Ugay, and Elena Vorobyeva and Victor Vorobiev.