Ashu Sculpture and Land Art Symposium
(2010)
Exhibition: Ashu Open Air Museum
Curator: Shaarbek Amankul
Artists: Mamat Kamchibekov (KG), Sadyr Makeev (KG), Tamila Mamatova (KG), Heidi Mühlschlegel (DE), Gerlinde Becker (DE), Lutz Weinmann (DE), Baird Cornell (US-DE), Margarethe Fritz-Herrmann (AU), Sylvie Marchand (FR), Camburet Lionel (FR), Raquel Rodriguez Izquierdo (ES)
The Sculpture and Land Art Symposium brought together a diverse group of artists from various countries to engage with themes of local nature, landscape, and ecology. This international event provided a platform for artists to explore the intricate relationship between art and the natural environment, encouraging a critical examination of the pressing environmental issues of the time. By focusing on the region’s unique ecological context, the symposium sought to deepen the dialogue between culture and the environment, while highlighting the role of art in addressing ecological concerns. The participating artists worked with sustainable, natural materials and adopted environmentally-conscious techniques in their creative processes. Materials such as stone, wood, earth, and other locally sourced resources were used, ensuring that each artwork was inherently connected to the landscape in which it was created. The artists’ use of these sustainable materials was a deliberate effort to emphasize the importance of ecological responsibility in both artistic practice and public engagement with art. Upon completion, the artworks were integrated into the natural surroundings, intentionally blurring the boundaries between art and landscape. Rather than being confined to traditional museum spaces, the sculptures and land art became enduring elements of the environment, transforming the region into a living exhibition of contemporary ecological art. These works were designed to remain in nature, becoming permanent fixtures within the landscape and contributing to the establishment of Kyrgyzstan’s first open-air mountain art museum.