The key objective of the Global Art Lab program is to develop, encourage, and demonstrate innovative new ways of understanding complex social dynamics and addressing common social challenges through the arts. The program facilitates the exchange of innovative art practices between artists and arts organizations in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) and the U.S. and helps distribute this information to larger audiences through educational programs, public presentations, and an actively maintained website.

By creating new methods for addressing social concerns and building an international network of artists and arts organizations, Global Art Lab aims to expand contemporary art discourse to individuals who may have had no previous relationship to contemporary art. The program supports artists from Central Asia and the US in cultivating dialogue within and between their rich creative communities.

Funding for the Global Art Lab has been provided by the Christensen Foundation, the Kettering Family Foundation and the Trust for Mutual Understanding.

10/23/11

Bishkek Arrival :: Scoping and Planning

My name is Andrea Steudel. I'm in Bishkek to share my artmaking style and skills with local artists. We will meet in a workshop environment to create works together for outdoor space. I make ephemeral video projections on surfaces in public spaces, often using live camera feed to perform a type of shadow/silhouette puppetry which can be combined with pre-recorded video and layered in interesting ways.



One of my first tasks upon arrival is to identify some potential sites of interest for projection. I want to find a place which already has some pedestrian traffic at night, the building surface should not be lit at night, and we need to be able to get permission for the site from the government here. A few of the key prospects:

The White House

Base of Manas Sculpture at Ala-Too Square

MegaCom building at opposite end of Ala-Too

I create a mock-up for the Manas site. It is fitting for the piece I am planning which is a shadow puppet depiction of the "Birth of Manas" story.


The National Fine Art Museum is also an option.


Also in my first week I get very familiar with all the shops and bazaar as I gather materials for art-making during the workshops.
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