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Erbol Meldibekov
outside Russia
Sculptor, video- and photo-artist
Born in 1964 in South-Kazakhstan. Currently lives and works in Almaty.
EDUCATION
1987-1992
Almaty Theater and Fine Arts Institute, Department of Monumental Sculpture
2005
Vermont Studio Residency for visual artists, organized by CEC ArtsLink (USA).
The impressive images of Erbol Meldibekov became the emblem of the Central Asian pavilion in the Biennale in Venice.
A good artist expresses the collective unconscious. Erbol creates the image of Asia as a psycho-aesthetic cocktail, which is difficult to convey, in which aggression and obedience are mixed with the reality of the mass reprisals of people in Andijan and Bishkek. The art of Erbol is stunningly visual and spontaneous. This is the art of direct action, which excludes enjoyment and aesthetic searches. For him force as a form of primeval power is connected with instincts, with the Eastern type of self identity. That's why he transforms force into art. The emotional response to the provocative exposure of the situation is, for Erbol Meldibekov, far more valuable than the internal problems of art. Both the essence of that shocking, for the West, reality which was created by Medieval authoritarian power and the perception of the generalised image of Central Asia by the West are concentrated in the precise and harsh images of Erbol.
AWARDS
1998
Prize for best foreign work on "25 Salon Mladin", Zagreb, Croatia
2000
First Prize of International Jury of the Second Annual Exhibition of SCCA "Communications: Experience of Interaction"
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2006
"Rebels". Together with Alexey Kallima, Galerie Volker Diehl, Berlin
"Hyper Muslim (Pastan) ", M. Guelman Gallery, Moscow, Russia
2000
Personal exhibition in "VN" Gallery, Zagreb, Croatia
1999
"Tlon – I do not know such a country", Directorship of Art Exhibitions, Almaty, Kazakhstan
1999
"Tlen – I do not know such a country", Directorship of Art Exhibitions, Almaty, Kazakhstan
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2007
Thaw. Fifteen Years of Marat Guelman Gallery. Marat Guelman Art Foundation. State Russian Museum, Marble Palace, St. Petersburg
Artist's Diary. Within the framework of the Special Projects of the 2nd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. M. Guelman Gallery, Marat Guelman Art Foundation, Central House of Artists, Moscow
2005
51 Venice Biennial, Venice, Italy
"Tamerlan Syndrome" Exhibition, Orvieto, Italy
2004
"Pueblos y Sombras", Canaia Galerie, Mexico City
"Privatisierungen", Zeitoenossische Kunst Avs Osteuropa Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, Germany
"Ideas in Motion" Alfieri Atelier Cinema, Florence
2002
"No mad's land", House of World Cultures, Berlin, Germany
"Abseits der Seidenstrasse" Kunst und Kultur aus Zentralasien. Haus der Kulturen der Welt. Berlin.
"Politik-um. New engagement", Prazhski Grad, Prague, Czech Republic
"Re-orientation", ACC Gallery, Weimar, Germany
"Trans Forma". Center for Modern Art, Geneva, Switzerland
2001
"Le tribu dell' Arte", City Gallery of Modern Art, Rome, Italy
"Province: Between Europe and Asia", Shyryaevo Village, Samara Oblast, Russia
"Art Moscow", M.Guelman Gallery, Moscow, Russia
2000
Second Annual Exhibition of the Soros Center for Contemporary Art "Communications: Experience of Interaction", "Atakent" Exhibition Complex, Almaty, Kazakhstan
1998
"Asia yesterday-today-tomorrow", Benteng Vredeburg museum, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
First Annual Exhibition of the Soros Center for Contemporary art "Self-identification: Futurological prognosis", "Moscow" Shopping Center, Almaty, Kazakhstan
"IV International", Central State Museum of History, Almaty, Kazakhstan
"Art Forum", Berlin, Germany
"25 Salon Mladin", Zagreb, Croatia
"Chimeras", Marat Guelman Gallery, Moscow, Russia
1995
"A Parade of Galleries", Kasteev State Museum of Arts, Almaty, Kazakhstan
1995
"Kazakh Art – Old and New", Karenina Gallery, Vienna, Austria
"Exhibition in the Abai House", London, Grea t Britain
1993
"Zhiger", Young Artists Exhibition. Exhibition Hall of Artist Union, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Links:
Photocoverage of the exhibition Hyper Muslim (Guelman Gallery, 2006)
Print version
Born in 1964 in South-Kazakhstan. Currently lives and works in Almaty.
EDUCATION
1987-1992
Almaty Theater and Fine Arts Institute, Department of Monumental Sculpture
2005
Vermont Studio Residency for visual artists, organized by CEC ArtsLink (USA).
The impressive images of Erbol Meldibekov became the emblem of the Central Asian pavilion in the Biennale in Venice.
A good artist expresses the collective unconscious. Erbol creates the image of Asia as a psycho-aesthetic cocktail, which is difficult to convey, in which aggression and obedience are mixed with the reality of the mass reprisals of people in Andijan and Bishkek. The art of Erbol is stunningly visual and spontaneous. This is the art of direct action, which excludes enjoyment and aesthetic searches. For him force as a form of primeval power is connected with instincts, with the Eastern type of self identity. That's why he transforms force into art. The emotional response to the provocative exposure of the situation is, for Erbol Meldibekov, far more valuable than the internal problems of art. Both the essence of that shocking, for the West, reality which was created by Medieval authoritarian power and the perception of the generalised image of Central Asia by the West are concentrated in the precise and harsh images of Erbol.
Alexander EVANGELY
AWARDS
1998
Prize for best foreign work on "25 Salon Mladin", Zagreb, Croatia
2000
First Prize of International Jury of the Second Annual Exhibition of SCCA "Communications: Experience of Interaction"
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2006
"Rebels". Together with Alexey Kallima, Galerie Volker Diehl, Berlin
"Hyper Muslim (Pastan) ", M. Guelman Gallery, Moscow, Russia
2000
Personal exhibition in "VN" Gallery, Zagreb, Croatia
1999
"Tlon – I do not know such a country", Directorship of Art Exhibitions, Almaty, Kazakhstan
1999
"Tlen – I do not know such a country", Directorship of Art Exhibitions, Almaty, Kazakhstan
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2007
Thaw. Fifteen Years of Marat Guelman Gallery. Marat Guelman Art Foundation. State Russian Museum, Marble Palace, St. Petersburg
Artist's Diary. Within the framework of the Special Projects of the 2nd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art. M. Guelman Gallery, Marat Guelman Art Foundation, Central House of Artists, Moscow
2005
51 Venice Biennial, Venice, Italy
"Tamerlan Syndrome" Exhibition, Orvieto, Italy
2004
"Pueblos y Sombras", Canaia Galerie, Mexico City
"Privatisierungen", Zeitoenossische Kunst Avs Osteuropa Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, Germany
"Ideas in Motion" Alfieri Atelier Cinema, Florence
2002
"No mad's land", House of World Cultures, Berlin, Germany
"Abseits der Seidenstrasse" Kunst und Kultur aus Zentralasien. Haus der Kulturen der Welt. Berlin.
"Politik-um. New engagement", Prazhski Grad, Prague, Czech Republic
"Re-orientation", ACC Gallery, Weimar, Germany
"Trans Forma". Center for Modern Art, Geneva, Switzerland
2001
"Le tribu dell' Arte", City Gallery of Modern Art, Rome, Italy
"Province: Between Europe and Asia", Shyryaevo Village, Samara Oblast, Russia
"Art Moscow", M.Guelman Gallery, Moscow, Russia
2000
Second Annual Exhibition of the Soros Center for Contemporary Art "Communications: Experience of Interaction", "Atakent" Exhibition Complex, Almaty, Kazakhstan
1998
"Asia yesterday-today-tomorrow", Benteng Vredeburg museum, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
First Annual Exhibition of the Soros Center for Contemporary art "Self-identification: Futurological prognosis", "Moscow" Shopping Center, Almaty, Kazakhstan
"IV International", Central State Museum of History, Almaty, Kazakhstan
"Art Forum", Berlin, Germany
"25 Salon Mladin", Zagreb, Croatia
"Chimeras", Marat Guelman Gallery, Moscow, Russia
1995
"A Parade of Galleries", Kasteev State Museum of Arts, Almaty, Kazakhstan
1995
"Kazakh Art – Old and New", Karenina Gallery, Vienna, Austria
"Exhibition in the Abai House", London, Grea t Britain
1993
"Zhiger", Young Artists Exhibition. Exhibition Hall of Artist Union, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Links:
Photocoverage of the exhibition Hyper Muslim (Guelman Gallery, 2006)
Print version
