BO (Water in Tajik)

My first meeting with the artists was one of informal introductions. I wanted to introduce myself, give a little background and hear/learn about them as well. I wanted to know what they hope to gain from this experience. I was pleased to see a great mix, of age, sex, discipline and experience. Some were fourth year students at the university; the older artists were figurative and landscape painters. Some were designers and still others favored abstract art. They all expressed interest in learning more about contemporary art. When asked what contemporary art is, that answers varied. Some felt that contemporary art dealt with the issues that are present and others felt that it was “new” art. While discussing the meaning of contemporary art I asked, “As artists and citizens of Dushanbe, what are some of the issues you face, knowing that those answers will help determine the direction of our process and project.” Generally, as artists in Dushanbe, that are somewhat isolated and do not have many opportunities to participate in making contemporary art. A visit from Martha Jackson-Jarvis a year earlier has left a profound impression on them all and they longed for similar experiences.

In our discussions the problems around water surfaced constantly. The landscape around the city is peppered with large fountains and water features, mostly in front of banks, large hotels and government buildings. However, many apartments in the city are without water on a regular basis with certain districts having water 3 – 6 scheduled hours a day. The city’s is hydroelectrically powered which poses problems in the winter when the water powering the dams freezes. Some of the artists always have water (including a pool in the back yard) while others have none at all and have to carry water in buckets for daily use. Since the presence and in most cases the absence of water influenced all aspects of Tajik life on a social, economical, behavioral and cultural level, we’ve decided to create contemporary and public art around the issues of WATER!