International artists to create public art at the AUCA new campus

July 1, 2015

On June 29, 2015 the “Artystan” project, implemented by the American University of Central Asia in partnership  with HMA2Architect and supported by The Christensen Fund brought together artists, artisans, designers and curators from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the United States to create several public art works at the new AUCA campus.

In next 11 months, through series of collaborative workshops, dialogues and ongoing exhibitions, artists will design and fabricate temporary and permanent installations at outdoor spaces, indoor and on the atrium’s main wall.

AUCA’s new campus has a lot of exposed concrete as a part of the design concept, which sometimes is “forbidding and cold,” said Andrew Wachtel, AUCA’s President.  “The idea of having the artwork hanging temporarily or permanently on various places and along the atrium wall will warm the building a little bit and make it more visually interesting against the factory-like interior,” added Mr. Wachtel.

The project will highlight the relationship between people and the environment and foster relationships between cultures. The way the art creation is conceived reflects what AUCA have been trying to do for 20 years, which is “bringing people together from a variety of countries and cultures represented by AUCA students to show that they can actually work together and do something interesting,” said Wachtel.

Several initial projects are already in development with local artists, including the design of the theater curtain, signature furnishings, and graphics.

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