Uzbekistan
Culture and Power in Eurasia: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
February 23, 2012 // 3:30pm — 5:30pm
Spotlight on Central Eurasia Series // Based on ethnographic research with contemporary artists and galleries in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Nauruzbayeva traces the ways in which the Soviet-era notions of art as a public good are transforming into art as a private commodity. In the process of renegotiating the loss of the former state sponsorship and recruiting private consumers for their art, Kazakhstani visual artists challenge the notion of the market as an inevitable force that emerges out of the self-interest of market players. After independence, the Uzbek government maintained a monopoly over ideology, exploiting the remaining Soviet institutional and cultural legacies. The state expressed national identity through tightly controlled mass spectacles, including theatrical and musical performances. Adams' analysis of the content, form, and production of these ceremonies shows how Uzbekistan’s cultural and political elites engaged in a highly directed, largely successful program of nation building through culture. more
Book Discussion: "Chaos, Violence, Dynasty: Politics and Islam in Central Asia"
November 17, 2011 // 8:30am — 10:30am
Kennan Institute Spotlight on Central Eurasia Series: The speaker will discuss his book, a compelling study of the divergent political courses taken by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan in the wake of Soviet rule. McGlinchey examines economics, religion, political legacies, foreign investment, and the ethnicity of these countries to evaluate the relative success of political structures in each nation. more
Culture and Power in Eurasia: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
February 23, 2012 // 3:30pm — 5:30pm
Spotlight on Central Eurasia Series // Based on ethnographic research with contemporary artists and galleries in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Nauruzbayeva traces the ways in which the Soviet-era notions of art as a public good are transforming into art as a private commodity. In the process of renegotiating the loss of the former state sponsorship and recruiting private consumers for their art, Kazakhstani visual artists challenge the notion of the market as an inevitable force that emerges out of the self-interest of market players. After independence, the Uzbek government maintained a monopoly over ideology, exploiting the remaining Soviet institutional and cultural legacies. The state expressed national identity through tightly controlled mass spectacles, including theatrical and musical performances. Adams' analysis of the content, form, and production of these ceremonies shows how Uzbekistan’s cultural and political elites engaged in a highly directed, largely successful program of nation building through culture.
Book Discussion: "Chaos, Violence, Dynasty: Politics and Islam in Central Asia"
November 17, 2011 // 8:30am — 10:30am
Kennan Institute Spotlight on Central Eurasia Series: The speaker will discuss his book, a compelling study of the divergent political courses taken by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan in the wake of Soviet rule. McGlinchey examines economics, religion, political legacies, foreign investment, and the ethnicity of these countries to evaluate the relative success of political structures in each nation.
