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.
11/10/11
A Bit About Some of the Projects
This is a spiritual piece which employes symbolism to tell the story. The piece is lit within and emits a soft glow when the sun goes down. |
There's a saying, "you are what you eat" but this piece makes a statement about becoming overwhelmed and influenced by what you read. |
Some of the pieces were site-specific and utilized some of the elements around the theatre as inspiration. It this sinking into the manhole or materializing out of it? |
This couple has a 4-month old newborn but they desperately wanted to participate in the workshop. Their sculptures showed two figures walking and peering through glass walls. |
This mermaid sculpture fits well in the now defunct water fountain. She's petting a fish as a mist of blue "water" surrounds her. |
This surreal sculpture shows a spider-like creature in the mist of draining the life force out of her human victim. |
The Ilkhom Theatre of Mark Weil: Artwork Site
Today, only a few people can remember that everything began from a rather strange play from that time called Maskhoroboz-76 which was made in the tradition of street theatre. With that play, the founders of the Ilkhom went to Novgorod, Russia. It was the first trial of a new kind of professional actor working in the circumstances - the circumstances of immediate improvisation.
From the very beginning, the theatre was named ESTY, the Ilkhom (Experimental Studio of Theatrical Youth actors, artists, musicians, and theatricals). Such young playwrights as A. Vampilov, S. Zlotnikov, Sh. Bashbekov, Ch. Guseinov, and L. Razumovskaya debuted in the young "Ilkhom", and were later hailed as new-wave playwrights. Meeting with the playwrights of that generation has become one of the best ways of self-expression for the actors.
The years have passed. In 1985 arrived the time of independence and freedom. By that time the Ilkhom had become famous, as a real independent theatre which usually is ahead of its time. Te exhibition created by the young artists is in keeping with this tradition. All the artworks will be placed around the grounds of the theatre to be seen and scrutinized by the general public.