sabina shikhlinskaya selected works...
TRANSCRIPT
SABINA SHIKHLINSKAYA
selected works 1999-2017
“Fire”, Absheron, Azerbaijan, 2000, installations with mirrors and fire
“Fire”, Absheron, Azerbaijan, 2000, “Labyrinth”group performance
“Oil”, Absheron, Azerbaijan, 2005, performans, petrolium painting on canvas
“Oil”, Absheron, Azerbaijan, 2005, performans, petrolium painting on canvas
not for resale
© 2006 Sabina ShikhlinskayaAll rights reserved
DVD, 6’07, 20061/7
Produced and directed by Sabina ShikhlinskayaMusic by Faradzh Karaev
HAMAM
The idea of the video-installation "Hamam" is reconstruction of the atmosphere of the 16th century men ' s ba thes and o f the "Purifying" (or "Washing") rite carried out before the pray. I used in the project the music by Faraj Karayev borrowed from his album "Nostalgia". This theme emphasizes the expressiveness of the tradition partly lost which is routed in the Azerbaijani mythology. The rhythm and the visual sequence of the project c r e a t e a n i m p r e s s i o n o f meditative harmony.
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Presentation of "Hamam" video installation in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Hersegovina, 2007
"Dangerous Red", video installation 3', 2008, http://youtu.be/Qk4OjUAeB7E
In the monotonous silence of everyday life there exists a danger of violence, aggression and death. At any moment the statics may be turned into dynamics, quietness - into catastrophe.
Presentation of "Dangerous Red" in the frame of "USSR-remix" project, 2010, Tou Scene, Center for Contemporary Art, Stavanger, Norway.
Video “Dangerous Red”, 30th Council of Europe Art Exhibition “The Desire for Freedom. Art in Europe since 1945"An exhibition of the German Historical Museum, 17 October 2012 to 10 February 2013Curators: Monika Flacke, Henry Meyric Hughes, Ulrike Schmiegelt
http://youtu.be/15A-nNrba9M?t=2m40s
Video “Dangerous Red”, 30th Council of Europe Art Exhibition “The Desire for Freedom. Art in Europe since 1945"Milan, Palazzo Reale, 14th March – 2nd June 2013
“Ship Bolshevik Nariman Narimanov” video installation, 2 channels, 7" 2006http://youtu.be/tjiVp2-Ed6w
The Azerbaijanian artists who are now in their 40-ies were born and grown up in the Soviet Union. The dramatic shift in political and economic systems accompanied by total overhaul of values and life priorities presumably had to somehow influence their c rea t iv i ty. Sabina Shik l inskaya has interviewed several fellow artists from her generation with the same question about which trace the break of established 'living system' has left on the personal histories of the artists. Surprisingly enough, almost all colleagues quite unanimously confess that they were obsessed all these years with matters other than fall of Communist power.
Slowly sinking remnants of a ship on the shore of Caspian sea recall to artist the Soviet past – the mixed feelings of fading away memories and dreams of happy childhood related with sea cruises and the grandeur of a powerful vessel, and at the same time that terrible dance macabre of the oppressive machine of Communist regime which all is in the past, just like the old vessel now is sentenced to decay by rust, water and winds. Visualization of the shared common past - the vessel - is juxtaposed with multiple expressions of current moment as each of interviewed artists perceives it.
J. Selimkhanov, critic
“Ship Bolshevik Nariman Narimanov” photos, 2006
Sabina Shikhlinskaya
“Talk with Father”
not for resale
© 2011Sabina Shikhlinskaya.All rights reserved
DVD, 9’, 2011
For over 20 years we are living in different countries, I am with my family in Azerbaijan, parents and brother in Israel.
In this talk on skype with my father, I wanted to get from him the answers to questions, which I was asking myself, to understand better the past. To understand the ideology of the Soviet era, which largely influenced the course of world history.
It was one of my last conversations with my father. Soon, he was gone. He passed away a week before his 73th birthday anniversary day.
Past - is immaterial, as well as memory. Who we are today - the absolute derivative of what was before ... One epoch continues to another, developing the achievements of the past and correcting the mistakes. In children is continued life of their parents ... One of the main rules of life in its follow-up, the relay eras and generations. And of course - in preserving the memory ...
“Talk with Father”, video, 2012 http://youtu.be/Y9WXjvbiqP8
“Babel”, video, 2'46, 2013
The construction boom that encompasses many modern cities, has led to the fact that people no longer feel the natural components of a chaotic urban environment.
“Babel”, video, 2'46, 2013
Three-minute video on the topic of global changes in modern society, which led to the transformation of spiritual values.
“Transformers”, video, 2 channels, 2'09, 2013
“Transformers”, video, 2 channels, 2'09, 2013
Multimedia installation on real events in 2010. The appeal of my home residents against illegal construction, which was considered justified and supported by the municipality.
“Confrontation”, multimedia installation, 2013
“Confrontation”, multimedia installation, 2013
Series “no comment” diptich, 190x180, 190x180, stencil on canvas, 2011
“From a wound unsuccessfully inflicted to the despot, the sea of other people's blood flows”
Stanislav Ezhi Lets
Absheron peninsula, where the capital of Azerbaijan - Baku is located, is washed by the waters of Caspian sea. The endless sandy beaches, turquoise sea lane and the endless horizon line - this is one of the most significant images of my memory since childhood, the place where I was born, live and work today. The economic recovery in Azerbaijan in recent years, the accompanying construction boom and the lack of strict control over the process of urban planning, both in the city and in the coastal zone have led to global and irreversible changes in the appearance of the environment. One of the "phenomena" of modern Azerbaijani architecture are the walls, rapidly emerged in recent years - whimsical in design, constructed in granite and marble, overlapping approaches to the sea and transformed the skyline at best in the "dotted" line, which are the defenses of private houses or architectural and decorative projects for the development of semi-free spaces of Absheron. Globally, the world in the third millennium is committed to an open society, without limitation the rights to liberty, to equality of views, opportunities, and the right to choose to express themselves ... It seems paradoxical nature of any "walling" today ...
"Claustrophobia", video installation, 2'53, two channels, wall projections, 2013
"Claustrophobia", video installation, 2'53, two channels, wall projections, 2013
"Claustrophobia", video installation, 2'53, two channels, wall projections, 2013
South Caucasus Contemporary Dance & Experimental Art Festival in Tbilisi , Royal District Theatre (2013)video “Claustrophobia”, 2 channels, 35', edited version for the performance “GreenWax On”
by Karl Karner And Linda Samaraweerova (Austria)
“Sky on his shoulders”, video, 5'50, 2012 http://youtu.be/ewK6LwDj6IM
The "doomsday" predicted on a calendar of Indians of the Maya, decline of one civilization, origin of the new one... It is only improbable hypothesis on possible events in the future. The modern mankind hasn't enough knowledge to prevent the apocalyptic scenario, but it's enough to muse on what we are ready to transfer to the future generations. The answer is: only that we create in the present and that we will keep from heritage of the past. But, if we create while destroying, if we build while destroying, whether we break off link of times -- whether we approach thereby the ending so "terrifying" us? Whether we are its direct producers?
The economic recovery of the last years and the construction boom which has followed it, led to significant changes in the shape of modern Baku. Along with emergence of a set of grandiose architectural projects and the most modern infrastructure of roads and bridges, historical buildings and architecture monuments irrevocably disappear. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, in the period of the first oil boom, the Azerbaijani oil tycoons and patrons began to invite the European architects to turn Baku into one of the most beautiful cities in the Caucasus. Exteriors and interiors of buildings were decorated by families' monograms, sculptures of Atlases, the zoomorfny relief, the forged openwork balustrades and balconies... Those houses which over time have become historical and architectural monuments, were inseparable from the shape of Baku developed over the years. This shape's uniqueness is in historical connection of cultures of the East and the West, in the layers of history which are tracing in architectural appearance of the city, created throughout centuries. According to the general plan of reorganization of the city, a lot of these houses, as well as other architectural monuments, are ruthlessly destroyed... Instead of them the modern buildings arise -- the buildings from concrete and glass, comfortable, multistoried and "faceless"...
In the House in which this video filming was made, my friend was born and lived there during a half of century. Beforehand in this house there lived his parents. News that the historical building will be pulled down, was accepted by its inhabitants as their vital catastrophe. The House was demolished, and my friend moved to live from the downtown on its suburb. The Atlas doesn't support the sky any more...Losing our history, and together with it our memory, we continue to live.
“Behind of the Faсades”, ongoing project, 2014
This work based on photo and video documents from my own artistic research for the subject of urban changes in various contexts, as a result of dominant past and new politic of ideological regimes, which produced new social and urban identities in Azerbaijan.
“Behind of the Faсades”, ongoing project, 2014
“Moment of Silence”, video loop 2013
The tragedy that happened in 2004 in Beslan, North Ossetia, whichkilled civilians, most of whom were children, made the whole worldshudder.Even today the questions are raised like: how could this tragedyhappen? How could it happen that the adults were not able to protecttheir children from death? Based on eyewitness accounts and videomaterials, which were recorded in the seized school, the motives thatdrove the terrorists are being explored, unsuccessful attempts of theauthorities to resolve the crisis are studied. These and other questionsshould be given truthful answers that reveal the effects of the Beslanevents from the perspective of the surviving hostages, grieving parentsand the prospects for stability in the region, in the country and in theworld at large.Dumbness and silence cannot be the answer, but can only be a tributeof memory.
“Moment of Silence”, video loop 2013
“The road to the light”, photo seria, 2013.
Exhibition “Woman_looking from” 2013(As a result of “Artists in residence” with focus on gender inequality)
In the context of the project the artists are invited to consider the problem of “gender inequality between women and men” in Germany and, in comparison, the position and possibilities women have in her home countries in Caucasus. A developed civil Society in Europe gives a wider space to women, allowing them to create their own movements and non-governmental organizations and opened new ways of effective participation in decision-making and self-determined education for women.
“Beyond the Frame”, video, ongoing project, 2014
Video about women politicians from the regions of Azerbaijan.
“Beyond the Frame”, video, ongoing project, 2014
“Save the Earth”, mobile evironment project, Baku Public Art Festival, 2013.
“The installation symbolizes the historical period of three countries – Germany, Poland and Check, when they were divided by physical borders.Historical relationships of these countries are so tightly connected, that any violent separation, seems as an absurd, as the doors installed in the unlimited field space.”
“Without Borders”, installation, 2013.
“Without Borders”, installation, 2013.
"BGHG - Black Gold to Human Gold" , mixed media installation, 2013
"BGHG - Black Gold to Human Gold" , mixed media installation, 2013
The programme named as BGHG unites various international companies and organizations has a goal to provide integration of finances in the countries of oil production and use them for support and development of humanitarian sector. More and more organizations began to join BGHG and it simultaneously causes the increasing number of new abbreviations which defines a kind of new alphabet.Unfortunately the realization of the programme is not so perfect as it is in its declared intentions.
”Being invisible”, c-print, 2014
The main idea of the photocomposition is to present to the viewers the subject of the museum by focusing on the Scientists, curators, assistants - these are the people who consistently work over objects preserved in the Museum collections. Subsequently, these objects are placed in Museum expositions. In everyday work they often adjoin with unique exhibits. They study these objects, restore, preserve, classify them, and these activities promote a certain s ta tus of “sacra l objec t” when eventually it appears before public.This multi figured photo-composition presents portraits of people working in the Georgian National Museum and objects with which they work. Some of the scientists presented in the photos have been working with certain objects throughout their whole life. All of this creates a peculiar interrelation between the objects and the persons, who are studying and preserving it.The work shows that these people are outside the scope of visibility of the visitors but their role in creation, storage and representation of collections is huge, though invisible.
”Being invisible”, c-print, 2014
“The light of Roots”, light installation, 2014, Landmark Complex
“The light of Roots”, light installation, 2014
“Illusions” solo exhibition, MoMA Baku, Azerbaijan
(catalog: http://issuu.com/58287/docs/sabina_shikhlinskaya_illusions)
View from my solo exhibition "Illusions", neon light installations and video "Dreams”, 2014
"Nature", video installation with neon objects https://youtu.be/zhxLngkn1P8
“Illusions”, solo exhibition, 2016
“Dacha”, multimedia installation, 2016
“Dacha”, performance, 2016