The Steppe, an art exhibition, was on display in Tbilisi, Georgia, from
11-27 March 2016. This was the first time the solo exhibition has been in
Georgia, from the United Kingdom, showing 25 works of British artist, Aigana
Gali, and representing the importance of the Great Silk Road within the region.
Gali, of Georgian and Kazakh descent, was raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and
is also an actor, artistic theatre director, and ballet dancer. Her exhibition,
Steppe, will also be displayed in London and Almaty.
Steppe is a ‘contemplation’ of her cultural roots, highlighting Kazakhstan
by ‘re-centering the narrative on a core element that has survived through
time: the Kazakh steppe.’ Through her artwork she tells a story of traditions,
legends, shamanism, and landscapes. Accompanying the ‘art show’ is music
specifically composed by award-winning BBC composers Olivier Behzadi and Jimmy
Green. The music is a blend of Turk and Central Asian contemporary sound that
creates ‘a complex, yet hypnotizing atmosphere that adds mood to the artist’s
work and amplifies the viewers’ sensory experience.’
Below is Tan Ata, meaning At Dawn.
Dijida (below) is the predominant vegetation found in the steppe. When it
blossoms it fills the space with an overpowering scent of honey, dust, and
wood.
Aral (below) is
described as the representation of the Aral Sea between Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan. The former fourth largest lake in the world is a shadow of its
former self, and is a ‘haunting site of sand, salt, and pollution.’ She adds
that ‘the painting Aral brings to light a piece of Kazakh nature … with vibrant
colours and elevated shapes … [and] a message of optimism and hope.’
The
interpretation of Tomyris (below) is of the queen of the Massagetae
(570-520BC), a Scythian nomadic tribe of the Eurasion Steppe spanning
modern-day Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, western Uzbekistan, and southern
Kazakhstan. Tomryis was believed to be the Amazon queen warrior who killed King
Kir (Cyrus the Great), the founder of the First Persian Empire. The painting is
an interpretation of her ‘colourful and complex spirit.’
Karakum
(below) is Black Sand, a desert in Central Asia.
Tan
Sagimi (below) is morning haze, or mirage.
Muzdai
(below) represents icy, bitterly cold winters.
Kokikaz
(below) means flamingo. Pink flamingoes breed on the Caspian Sea shore,
‘filling the steppe with the miracle of their presence.’
MARTINA NICOLLS is the author of:-
The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends
(2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan
Curse (2009).
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