YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS
HAMBURGER EYES PHOTO EPICENTER
SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION
04.17.08


Yerba Buena Center for the Arts : Tracing Roads Through Central Asia - On Traders' Dilemmas and Travelers' Perspectives.

Artists: Gulnara Kasmalieva and Muratbek Djumaliev (Kyrgyzstan); Victor Vorobiev and Elena Vorobyeva (Kazakhstan); Erbossyn Meldibekov (Kazakhstan); Said Atabekov (Kazakhstan); Alexander Ugay (Kazakhstan); Alexander Nikolaev (Uzbekistan); Vyacheslav Akhunov (Uzbekistan); and Oksana Shatalova (Kasakhstan). Curated by Elena Sorokina.

Comment by AB: Contemporary Central Asian artists present intimate perspectives on the changing face of the region, especially since the demise of the Soviet Union. This art is largely documentary in nature, still photos and video for the most part, and focused primarily on lands, peoples, cultures, and livelihoods.

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Photography.

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Photos.

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Photographs.

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Monument to an unknown hero (forgot name of artist, sorry).

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Another view of monument to an unknown hero.

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Hammered metal container art.

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Photography.

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Central Asia fashion for Marines.

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Video art.

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Photos.

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Photographs.

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Photography.

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Hamburger Eyes Photo Epicenter : The Lowcard 5 Years of Lameness Party.

Comment by AB: Lowcard is a black & white skateboard mag celebrating birthday number five. That's why there's this party. And there's a plethora of photos plastering the walls to art things up-- gritty inside takes on the righteous core of the culture. The release of issue #22 seals the deal and they're giving it away free here tonight. I got one.

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Photos.

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Photography.

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Covers of all previous Lowcard issues.

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Photographs.

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Photography.

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Photos.

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Photographs.

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Photography.

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San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery at 155 Grove Street: Kunsole.

Artists: Deric Carner, Rebecca Miller and Roddy Schrock.

Comment by AB: According to the spec sheet, Kunsole is a "multidisciplinary collaborative vehicle" that "'reconciles' sound, idea, form, and pattern through an experimental synthesis processes (sic)." Tonight's reconciliation features an impromptu male-female tapout-style wrestling match. Ancillary activities include paper cup tossing over a room divider, Deric Carner walking around in circles occasionally kicking a large empty yellow plastic container and engaging in similarly sundry diversionary tactics, an obtuse soundtrack sculpted by a dude on the floor with a computer rife with wires, a photographer, a stenographer, and more, all staged in an eminently incongruous environment.

What does it all mean? Lord only knows. The good news? San Francisco is one of the few places in America where such a performance is not only supported by the local government, but is also presented in a city-run space. In Europe, it's the norm; in America, it's the exception. People occasionally forget how fortunate we are to live here in enlightened Ess Eff, and this random occurrence serves as a reminder.

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Here we are - you watch the performance from the street.

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Tapout match about to begin - Deric Carner circumnavigates.

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Same as above, several moments later.

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Tapout match in progress.

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Tapout match in progress.

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Stenography.

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Soundtrack.

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Articles and content copyright Alan Bamberger 1998-2008. All rights reserved.
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