Art Scene Research Articles

THE IMAGE OF WOMEN IN THE WORK OF NODIRA ORIPOVA

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the evolution of visual arts in Uzbekistan during the period of independence, examining the cultural and artistic transformations that have shaped the nation's contemporary art scene. A particular focus is given to the career and creative journey of renowned artist Nodira Oripova, whose works exemplify the spirit and artistic innovation of this era. By exploring the unique stylistic elements and thematic depth of Oripova's oeuvre, this study highlights how her art reflects both national identity and individual expression, contributing significantly to the discourse of modern Uzbek visual arts.

Tools for the Portuguese contemporary art market

In the past two decades, the art market has seen significant growth, with scholars and academics across the globe showing newfound interest in its potential as an interdisciplinary field. This has led to a prolific number of publications, particularly through the lens of globalization. However, a dearth of studies from regions outside the main axes remains, despite the potential for such studies to challenge globalization. This article investigates the primary art market of Portugal, located in southwestern Europe, which borrows ideas from the Global South due to similarities with regions from outside Europe and North America. We apply this concept to the features from a country, namely Portugal that is considered semi-peripheral and marginalized within dominant narratives. We emphasize the permanent tension between the local actuation and the global aspirations of the players in this market. Using literature published on the subject, reports, and interviews, we systematize the mechanisms of activation of the primary market; the launch of art fairs; the emergence of contemporary art galleries, museums, and collectors; and the discourse surrounding the recognition of the global art scene. Despite being a small-scale, semi-peripheral market, a willingness exists to internationalize. Furthermore, in addition to its rich cultural history and substantial investments, mainly from the private sector, the market has attracted international audiences from the artistic milieu and thereby contributed to the heterogeneity observed in the Global South.

Assyrian Imperial Elites and Textile Culture of the 1st Millennium BC: Shaping Power Visions Through Textiles

Abstract As a crucial component of the materiality of the first world empire, textile culture documented in archival cuneiform documents, visual art, and archaeological materials from 1st-millennium BC Assyria enables historians to reconstruct the social identities, power visions, and economic systems of the people who ruled the “Land of Aššur”. Through the analysis of royal clothes, it is possible to form an idea of the clothing ensemble, the aesthetic, and power visions that shaped the presence of the king and his queen in public ceremonies and in visual art narratives, and to see how royal textile art played a role in political communication. Royal garments, combined with power accessories such as royal insignia and other objects, represented a powerful means to visualize royal personhood and what the institution of Assyrian kingship meant in the imperial phase of Assyrian history. Representations of royal scenes in visual art integrate the documentary picture from texts and archaeological materials and show how the royal costume developed over the Neo-Assyrian period and how the centrality and superior status of the royal person were emphasised by visual interaction between the king’s clothes and other textiles in the scene. Queenly garments represent another channel for the communication of the success of the Assyrian imperial project. Less represented in textual sources and material evidence are other upper-class sectors of Assyrian imperial society, in which textiles equally played an important role as markers of social identity and status. Non-royal textiles were an integral part of power narratives in the Neo-Assyrian age, contributing to create the sense of a common Assyrian identity, of elite’s unity and cohesion, and full adherence to the imperial project.

Poznámky k označení „moderní české“ v rané umělecké kritice

The paper offers a brief summary of the period debate on the topic among leading national-minded commentators on the local and international art scene in Prague. It recalls the links of the label “national” to various contemporary concepts of patriotism and traces the articulation of the art scene in traditional and innovative contexts. The use of the label “modern Czech” for period visual culture has undergone many transformations, culminating at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. At the time, local spokesmen for modernism asserted the difference between modern and period work. In doing so, however, they adapted some of the thought patterns from earlier domestic debates about art.

„Býti národním v umění je směšný pleonasmus. Národní je i spánek.“ K německočeské debatě nad moderním meziválečným uměním

As an art historian who has long focused on the manifestations of the visual culture of the German-speaking scene in the Czech lands, I have repeatedly encountered the topic of perceiving the “Czechness” and “worldliness” of domestic production. From my research perspective, I see two levels in this beautiful and provocative challenge. The first is the evergreen of German-Bohemian art, i.e. if we apply a national or geographical scale to the artistic expressions that emerged from the Czech lands. Today, of course, we take a geographical view, but if we look at the production of individual regions side by side, it is impossible not to see clear differences on the part of the ethnically Czech and German scenes. Capturing and defining more universally some of the subliminal specifics that are apparent at first glance is a challenge that still occupies me mentally, despite the awareness of the absurdity of searching for a national definition of art. Fixing the key features is complicated by the existence of multicultural exceptions, which often introduce an element of Judaism into the traditional dualism of the period under review. These exceptions successfully disrupt the flattened idea of parallel Czech- and German-speaking cultural and social worlds of the Czech lands. Moreover, it is precisely these exceptions that are often the bearers of tendencies towards imaginary worldliness, which brings us to the second level of this consideration – to what extent and through what phenomena the territorially and numerically relatively small art scene of the Czech lands can be perceived as world-class. The answer may be the market, or a confident search for regional authenticity. In the words of Josef Kroutvor, “minor branches of modernity.” It seems to me that in today’s global world, their offsprings are more important than many textbook examples of the avant-garde.

Under the Watchful Eyes of the Supreme Leader: Iranian Politics and the Art Market

Abstract This article studies the relationship between politics and the art market. It adopts the Iranian model and analyzes how the political advancement of the Islamic Republic influenced aesthetics, art production, and the art market, to highlight how a conservatively religious model—governed by theocracy—impacts an otherwise prosperous and affluent culture. As such, this study also explores the correlation between art and moral virtues within a society. According to data, exportation of Iranian art was enjoying a far more lucrative climate the world over prior to the 1979 revolution. After the Islamic Revolution, artists, collectors, art galleries, and museums were forced to carve a confined space of existence and self-expression as a consequence of the endless limitations imposed. The political realm directly affected artists’ aesthetics, materiality, subject matter, and exposure. Artists were somewhat isolated from the global art scene, and their practice was defined by predetermined moral restrictions and boundaries. As for the art market, it became a hidden and unregulated market where the sale of artworks was muddled with money laundering and illegal exchange.

Imperatives Under Chinese Monochrome Art: Revisiting “Magiciens de la Terre”

“Les Magiciens de la Terre” has long been hailed as the first international contemporary art exhibition including both artists from Europe, Africa, Tibet, China, and other non-western places. Yang Jiechang, Gu Dexin, and Huang Yong Ping were the only three Chinese artists to participate in this exhibition. They made their debuts in front of unfamiliar overseas audiences, in which their art practices were rearranged, and Yang started his familiar series of “100 Layers of Ink.” My paper shifts the attention away from the single monochrome artwork of Yang’s 100 Layers of Ink at the Smart Museum, recenters it on the original context of the inception of this series at “Les Magiciens de la Terre,” and examines the general imperatives of those three artists’ first debuts — “distinct originality” and “being well-prepared.” The heightening emphasis on originality had already surfaced on the contemporary Chinese art scene and culminated in the curatorial plan of the exhibition’s curator, Jean-Hubert Martin. On the other hand, because of the importance of the debuts, “being well-prepared” underlined every aspect of their art-making for the exhibition, including enlarging scales, complicating the artistic concepts, and increasing working time. All those factors contributed to the sudden shifts in their art practices and shed new light on the imperatives under Yang’s monochrome art and his reflections on colors.

National Policies and Their Reverberations on the Art Making and Art Scenes in Malaysia under Mahathir Mohamed’s Premiership

This article examines the direct and indirect reverberations of the 1971 National Culture Policy, followed by the indirect impact of the Islamic resurgence and the 1985 Dasar Penerapan Nilai-Nilai Islam dalam Pentadbiran (Inculcation of Islamic Values in Administration Policy) on Malaysian art and art scene. The National Culture Policy (NCP), reiterated the ethnic preference policy of the National Economic Policy which resulted in an espoused policy that centres on Malay culture and Islam. Although there were incongruences and inconsistencies in the impact of the policy towards the art field in general, this policy has resulted in the rethinking of the presentation of art in Malaysia. This article first discusses the context of the NCP and traced how many exhibitions and discourses along the line of Islamic/Malay culture are frequently organised. This article also discusses the tendency of the artworks that were selected to be included in these exhibitions based on the selection of works that alludes to Islamic art, the Malay culture and works that have both elements of Islam and Malayness.

Digital Artistry: Exploring Techniques and Trends in Indian Art and Culture

From prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary digital creations, art has been integral to human expression throughout history. Digital art in modern art gradually includes various forms, such as Painting, sculpture and animation, using technology as its medium. Digital art includes any artistic work using digital technology, including Painting, 3D modelling, and interactive installations. It combines human creativity with computer technology, expanding the possibilities of creative expression. Studying digital artistry in India provides insights into cultural preservation, technological innovation, and social commentary. It promotes educational development and economic opportunities, contributing to the country's vibrant artistic scene. Technological advancements have democratized digital art creation in India, leading to diverse artistic expressions. Integrating digital art with emerging technologies like AR, VR, and NFTs opens up new possibilities for artistic exploration and dissemination. Digital art techniques include digital Painting, vector art, and 3D modelling, facilitated by hardware such as graphics tablets and software such as Adobe Creative Cloud. Brushes, textures and plugins enhance the creative process, while photo manipulation and 3D sculpting provide new avenues for artistic expression. Digital artistry in India offers insights into cultural dynamism, technological innovation and artistic development. This research paper delves into the evolving landscape of digital artistry in India, exploring various techniques, trends, and the socio-cultural impact of digital art in the country.

Research on the Design Aesthetic Characteristics of Chinese Digital Virtual Products in the 21st Century

The advancement of digital technologies profoundly impacts design art, particularly in virtual product design, where new expressions and effects, unattainable through traditional methods, emerge. Digitalization supports designers by freeing their creativity and enabling the embodiment of artistic pursuits. This transformation affects all stages of artistic creation, from concepts to expression, facilitated by the integration of digital technologies. The interactivity of digital virtual design promotes personalized, humane aesthetics through user participation.In the context of China's development, the animation industry's growth necessitates a unique cultural approach. Successful films like "Storm Rider Clash of the Evils" integrate Chinese elements and philosophy, reflecting traditional culture and values. This film exemplifies the fusion of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, presenting the idea of fate and the unity of characters in accordance with destiny. Martial arts scenes, rivers, lakes, and dynamic fights showcase innovative audio-visual effects. Despite some design flaws, the film's innovations and desire for innovation mark a significant step in the evolution of Chinese animation art, providing new creative opportunities and inspiring future projects. The film's cultural depth, blending traditional elements with modern trends, appeals to a broad audience, solidifying China's position in the global animation industry and showcasing its potential for innovation and cultural contribution.

My Cigarette Wife and Other Queer Tales of Kinship from Tunisia’s Contemporary Public Art Scene

This article explores the contradictions and political possibilities of creating a “safe space” using “family” as an organizational concept in a contemporary public art project in Tunisia. Amidst the backdrop of foreign development funding for the arts flowing into Tunisia and a global contemporary art scene where “patriarchal structures” are taken as antithetical to collaborative practices, family has been an intuitive and meaningful mode of organizing artistic projects in Tunisia, particularly as it relates to fostering safe spaces for queer youth. As opposed to “participation,” “commoning,” and other institutionally supported art concepts, family is not a concept widely exhibited. In relation to tendencies toward “sensible” approaches to the political efficacy of contemporary art, the artistic practice of making family points to a “nonsensible” politics of aesthetics, where the aesthetic is better understood not as the location of politics but as a quality of feeling that enables spaces of political possibility.

A Conceptual Framework in Curatorial Practices in New Media Art in the Malaysian Art Scene

In Malaysia, technological devices such as computers were introduced as one of the art mediums to be used in the 1980s. New media art in Malaysia is often equated with electronic art, digital art, video, and media art. Thus, the objective of this paper is to identify the curatorial practices in new media art practice by the curators in the Malaysian art scene. This paper aims to construct a conceptual framework of curatorial practices in the new media art. This conceptual framework aims to highlight the main attributes and factors in curating new media art in Malaysia’s art scene. The method used in this research is the Kawakita Jiro which extracts the keywords related to the curatorial practices through the literature reviews. The result shows that the curatorial practices in new media art disciplinary, application, concept, perception, production, integration, and awareness are the curatorial practices in new media in the Malaysian art scene, and the conceptual framework shows that the interrelation between each attribute of curatorial practices has contributed to facilitating the production of new media art.

Gordon Crook: Banners and Wall Hangings

Gordon Crook was a British textile artist who came to live in Wellington in 1972, aged 51. Through contacts at the Dowse Art Museum and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Crook was commissioned by the architect Miles Warren to make banners for the New Zealand Chancery in Washington D.C. (1979–80), followed by banners and wall hangings for the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington (1981–83). Crook’s work was suigeneric, idiosyncratic in its imagery and development, a world feeding on itself. Outside any national or current artworld style, Crook extended and enriched New Zealand’s public visual art scene.[i] [i] See my three articles on the work of Gordon Crook: “Gordon Crook: tapestries,” Tuhinga 31 (2020): 70–90; “Gordon Crook: The Pastel Triptychs,” Tuhinga 32 (2021): 120–34; and “Gordon Crook and the Wolf-Man,” Tuhinga 33 (2022): 1–29.

Don Binney: Flight Path

One of the joys of reviewing is that every so often a book comes along that is elegantly written, persuasively argued and beautifully produced. The result is something special that is both wonderful to look at and a joy to read. Congratulations, then, to editor Sam Elworthy and his team, especially book designer Keely O’Shannessy; I have never reviewed anything quite so visually stunning as Don Binney: Flight Path. Gregory O’Brien’s balanced and insightful text is illustrated on every few pages by high quality reproductions of this talented artist’s paintings. Most readers would expect many images of birds, given Binney’s earlier paintings, but he also painted landscapes in New Zealand and other parts of the globe, including Mexico, Africa, Britain and Australia. Binney was skilled too at painting still lifes, creating spectacular montages and occasionally venturing into challenging surreal images of human forms. Despite Binney’s somewhat flamboyant personality and occasional carping about trends in the broader New Zealand art scene, O’Brien confirms that he was an effective environmentalist with genuine sympathy for, and understanding of, the Māori view of nature and spirituality.

Research on the Creative Principles of Chinese Thriller Films

The Chinese thriller film, as a specific genre, exhibits unique principles and characteristics in its creation, which is also significant in terms of cultural heritage and creative expression. Nevertheless, the current systematic investigation of the research principles and creative connotations of the sample remains inadequate. The objective of this paper is to analyze the research principles of Chinese thriller-horror films and identify the sources and evolution of the narrative materials underlying them. The analysis employs both the literature analysis method and the case study method. The former is used to examine the expression of the combination of thriller imagery and traditional Chinese cultural symbols in the film, while the latter is employed to explore the cultural elements belonging to the Chinese nation's tradition. Additionally, the analysis considers the distinctive characteristics of the film in terms of artistic scene layout, sound, and color, as well as the significance and role of such films. By examining the fundamental principles of Chinese thriller film-making, it is possible to gain a deeper understanding of the distinctive appeal and artistic nuances of Chinese thrillers, offering insights that can inform and inspire the creation of Chinese films.

UNTYING THE THREAD OF INNOVATION: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS FOR NIGERIA’S TEXTILE ARTS

Nigeria’s textile arts scene is a vibrant tapestry of creativity, rich cultural heritage, and untapped potential. Textile arts is one of the solutions to the development of any nation. Despite its significance, the production faces numerous challenges that hinder innovation and growth. This article explores the obstacles and opportunities for innovation in textile arts in Nigeria, examining the current state, challenges, and prospects for future development. The study adopts multiple methods of research design such as literature review, case studies, expert interviews and discussions, observational studies to gather enough data with content analysis, and qualitative methods to analyze the data. Some challenges include lack of modernization and technology, brain drain and skills gap, lack of adequate raw materials, etc. In contrast, the ideas for innovation include, the revitalization of Adire and batik training programs and workshops, digital printing and design, etc. This will eventually lead to innovation for the nation’s building helping the graduates to be self-employed and also employers of labour. Findings reveal that there are still opportunities for improvement in the sector if the right strategies are implemented. KEYWORDS: innovation, challenges, textile arts, prospects, textile industry.

The Relay of Radicalism

The former Yugoslavia was the site of fierce partisan resistance to occupying Nazi forces during WWII and of a vigorous alternative arts scene in the 1960s and 1970s. Recent books on partisan art and New Art Practices make it possible to trace connections between these two seemingly unrelated instances of radical art practices.

Diversity of style in the works of the artist (Naziha Selim)

Iraqi art underwent a significant transformation in the second half of the 20th century, seeking to remove established norms, which led to ground-breaking outputs from artists like Naziha Salim. Her work represents a pivotal shift, rooted in two main aspects: the inspiration from cultural heritage and its contemporary application. Salim's art exemplifies beauty through the use of modern techniques, diverse materials, varying styles, and the interplay of lines and space, alongside the strategic use of color masses. This diversity is the cornerstone of this study. The research is structured into four chapters. The first chapter addresses the research problem, stemming from the question: To what extent does the diversity of style manifest in Naziha Salim's works? The aim is to explore this diversity, alongside highlighting the research's significance and scope. The second chapter comprises two sections: the first reviews the multiplicity of styles in modern European art schools, while the second delves into the diversity of styles in contemporary Iraqi painting, particularly focusing on the experiences of various artists, with a special emphasis on Naziha Salim's work. The third chapter outlines the research methodology, detailing the study population, which includes 15 of Salim's artworks. The sample consists of three works, selected and analyzed based on expert recommendations, employing a descriptive analytical approach to meet the study's objectives and derive conclusions. The fourth chapter presents the research findings, such as Salim's reflection of the social environment and the juxtaposition of reality's tragedies, forming a stylistic, intellectual, and nationalistic vision. The conclusions suggest that the artistic scene revolves around the genuine impetus behind creating art and its relationship with environment, history, and the artist’s introspection. Additionally, the chapter includes recommendations and proposals, concluding with images of the analyzed artworks.

Timber trade in 17th-century Europe: different wood sources for artworks of Flemish painters

The former Spanish Netherlands experienced a period of social, cultural and economic prosperity in the seventeenth century, with Antwerp as its most important commercial and artistic centre. The era’s vibrant art scene, once pivotal culturally, economically, and diplomatically, now offers invaluable insights for scientific studies on art, trade, and craftsmanship. In a study on 294 panel paintings by or related to two famous Flemish artists, Jacques Jordaens (1593–1678) and Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641), we applied classical art historical techniques, archival research, dendrochronology, and the study of panel maker’s and guild marks on the painting’s reverse to gain insights into the precise time of tree felling, the geographical provenance of the wood, and the panel makers patronised by the painters. The majority of the paintings (~ 80%), which were subjected to a dendrochronological analysis, could be dated and the results accorded well with the concomitant art historical assessment on authorship. Besides an active and well-known Baltic timber trade which provided over 71% of all the planks examined, straight-grained oak trees were also sourced from western Central Europe (20%). Interestingly, planks from the Baltic and the Ardennes region (France/Belgium) were used together in three different paintings, likely cut apart from larger panels. Employing a multidisciplinary approach to a comprehensive painting collection by individual painters provides not only a new tool to determine a painting’s date and authorship but also allows for a better understanding of the contemporary timber trade and associated craftsmanship.

Video Art and Collective Memory in Turkey

The aim of this article is to present and study contemporary video practices since the 2000s in Turkey through the representation of time and collective memory. The article features the four video artists who have structured the video art scene in Turkey: Ali Kazma, Halil Altındere, Erkan Özgen and Seza Paker. This research addresses two interconnected issues: firstly, the purpose is to examine how the distinct technical parameters of video production shape a synthesized temporality. This inquiry naturally gives rise to a secondary purpose: in what manner does this constructed temporality facilitate the exploration of memory and historical discourse? The hypothesis is that the video image, both as a technical artifact and a conceptual construct, inherently possesses its unique framework for temporal construction, thereby actively contributing to novel reinterpretations of collective memory and historiography The methodology involves conducting a formal analysis of the video content. This approach focuses on examining the visual elements, composition, use of color, sound, editing techniques, and overall aesthetics of the video to gain deeper insights into its artistic significance and meaning. By employing formal analysis, the aim of this article is to decipher the visual language employed by the video artists and uncover nuanced layers of interpretation.