Neon Paradise: Post-Soviet Shamanism at Laura Bulian Gallery
The exhibition titled 'Neon Paradise' at Milan's Laura Bulian Gallery delves into the theme of shamanism within contemporary Central Asian art. Curated by Laura Bulian, with accompanying text by Valentina Parisi, the show draws inspiration from Uzbek artist Said Atabekov's 2003 video that illustrates shamanistic practices. Featured artists include Saodat Ismaliova, Gulnara Kasmalieva, Muratbek Djumaliev, and Vyacheslav Akhunov, who portray shamanism as a means of healing and divine interaction. The Kyzyl Traktor collective challenges ethnographic clichés, while Alexander Ugay reinterprets a Japanese tea ceremony into a monochromatic ritual. These artworks conjure an ancestral utopia, showcasing cultural reappropriation after the USSR and merging artistic creativity with documentary insights to rejuvenate spiritual traditions in contemporary urban settings.
Key facts
- Exhibition titled 'Neon Paradise' at Laura Bulian Gallery in Milan
- Curated by Laura Bulian with critical text by Valentina Parisi
- Title taken from Said Atabekov's 2003 video of a shaman meditating before a supermarket
- Concept references Mircea Eliade's 'nostalgia for paradise'
- Features works by Said Atabekov, Saodat Ismaliova, Gulnara Kasmalieva, Muratbek Djumaliev, Vyacheslav Akhunov, Kyzyl Traktor collective, and Alexander Ugay
- Saodat Ismaliova's video installation documents the Oxus River and its banks
- Kasmalieva, Djumaliev, and Akhunov depict shamanism as healing and divine communication
- Kyzyl Traktor deconstructs ethnographic and New Age stereotypes
- Alexander Ugay uses an old Soviet 8mm camera to film a Japanese tea ceremony
- Works explore post-Soviet cultural reappropriation and identity
Entities
Artists
- Said Atabekov
- Saodat Ismaliova
- Gulnara Kasmalieva
- Muratbek Djumaliev
- Vyacheslav Akhunov
- Alexander Ugay
- Kyzyl Traktor
Institutions
- Laura Bulian Gallery
Locations
- Milan
- Italy