On August 22, Tamyr Central Asia Art Lab will host Community Day in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) as part of the Tamyr Art Scene initiative, which unites the contemporary art professional community across Central Asia.
Community Day is a one-day gathering for artists, curators, researchers, art managers, gallerists, collectors, and art enthusiasts, dedicated to networking, sharing experiences, and professional exchange. The program features lectures, public talks, and workshops designed to help participants build new connections and become part of the Tamyr Art Scene.
The Bishkek edition continues the series of Tamyr Art Scene events that launched in Almaty. By the end of the year, Community Days will also take place in Dushanbe and Tashkent. The program for each event is developed in collaboration with the local art community, reflecting its current interests and key topics.
Community Day / Bishkek Program | August 22, 3:00–10:00pm
Address: BulBul Art Residence, Besh-Kungei village, 28/2 Ordobay uulu Karymbay St.
Shuttle service between Bishkek and the BulBul Art Residence will be organized for registered participants. Detailed information will be provided in the confirmation email upon registration.
3:00–4:30pm — Workshop: "International Opportunities for Artists: Grants, Residencies, and Open Calls" with Nazira Karimi, artist and filmmaker
Drawing from her personal experience, Nazira Karimi will share insights on searching for grants, residencies, open calls, and educational programs, as well as preparing applications and navigating collaborations with international institutions. The workshop focuses on practical steps to help artists better navigate available opportunities and build their professional practice with confidence.
To participate, please register at the bottom of the page.
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3:00–4:00pm — Artist Talk: "Self-Organization and Collectivity: The Experience of BiSCA" and Collective Game "Experiments in Imagination" with Diana Ukhina and Alima Tokmergenova, members of the Bishkek School of Contemporary Art
Members of BiSCA will share their experience with collective practice, discussing its advantages and challenges, as well as their participation in creating the "collective of collectives" La Tabebh within the nine-month international Gudskul program.
In addition, they will present the collective game "Experiments in Imagination," specially developed for an exhibition at the Asia Art Archive space in Hong Kong. The game invites participants to explore practices of shared imagination, interaction, and collective creativity.
To participate, please register at the bottom of the page.
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4:00–5:00pm — Critique Session: "In Defense of Representation" with Meder Akhmetov, architect, artist, and curator
Participants will explore contemporary theories and examine the ideas of Tristan Garcia. The young philosopher proposes his own model for understanding representation. This is a concept pivotal to describing and comprehending art. The session will feature a brief introduction to his theory alongside an opportunity to discuss these ideas using participants' own works and case studies as examples.
Artworks, exhibitions, and aesthetic practices drawn from our shared regional artistic context will serve as case studies.
To participate, please register at the bottom of the page.
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5:00–6:00pm — Public Talk: "Why Osh? How Contemporary Artists Can Work with a Museum" with Baktygul Midinova, Director of the T. Sadykov Osh Regional Museum of Fine Arts
How can a regional art museum become a platform for contemporary art? During this session, the director of the Turgunbay Sadykov Osh Regional Museum of Fine Arts will discuss the museum’s collaboration with contemporary artists, opportunities for exhibition and research projects, and why Osh is emerging as an important hub for artistic initiatives today. The conversation will focus on museum partnerships with independent practitioners, the nuances of working within a regional context, and the possibilities the city opens up for new artistic expressions.
To participate, please register at the bottom of the page.
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6:30-10:00pm — Presentation of Tamyr Art Scene with Rus Biketov, Director of the Tamyr Central Asia Art Lab
To participate, please register at the bottom of the page.