from 4 to 12 March 2013 in the London office of Sotheby's on New Bond Street, Exhibition and sale of "At the Crossroads", devoted to contemporary art in Central Asia and the Caucasus. This is the first exhibition of its kind, which includes the works of artists from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and covering the period of non-conformism and social realism of the 1960s to the new artistic practices. Prices shown here 47 pieces range from 3 thousand to 500 thousand dollars.

Jo Vickery, Executive Director and Head of Russian Art Sotheby's: «Central Asia and the Caucasus recent years rapidly developing, and it applies fully to art. Not a day goes by that there are no new collectors, art institutions and galleries ».

Curator Suad Garayev specialist of Russian Art Sotheby's:« The purpose of this innovative exhibition - to draw attention to the rich culture of the region with a common Soviet past. We decided to call the exhibition "At the Crossroads" to emphasize the transition state of the country at the turn of the century, both in terms of social and political development, and in art, and to show the evolution of most of the artists represented here, which were known in their own countries, and now exhibited and beyond ».

The exhibition features artists who are going through the official socialist realism and nonconformism 1970's and 80's, looking for a new path. Geographically situated between the East and the West, they are synthesized in the creativity traditions and folklore with modern western practices.

Toplots exhibition

Azerbaijan

TAIR SALAKHOV Portrait Shostakovich 1987. Oil on canvas. 133.5 x 113,5 Source: Press Release Sotheby's

Portrait - the leading genre in the works Tahir Salahov , created the most vivid images of artists of his time. Salakhov Shostakovich belonged to different generations, but they both knew firsthand about the Stalinist purges of the 1930s. Salakhova father was arrested and shot in 1938, when the future artist was only nine years old. Later, as the son of an enemy of the people, he was denied admission to the Leningrad Academy of Arts. Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), who was older Salakhova, hit wrath of Stalin, but then the composer has been rehabilitated. Salakhov became one of the leading representatives of the severe style that emerged in the Soviet art during the Khrushchev thaw. Portrait of Shostakovich different characteristic for this area conciseness and generalized form, contrast of light and shade, a monochrome palette. As later recognized artist, it is possible that the severe austerity of language style on a subconscious level, reflecting the tragedy of the era, took issue with false optimism and bright colors of the socialist-realist painting.

Armenia

Hakob Hakobyan The end of the road. 1997 canvas. 100 x 81 Source: Press Release Sotheby's

in his favorite genre of landscape Hakob Hakobyan , continues the tradition of its predecessors, in particular Saryan . Road updated sound of this work, making it clear and close the modern audience. Landscapes Hakobyan with their fine-tuned perspective and restrained palette, to ocher colors with all shades of brown, fragile and tranquility.

Georgia

AUTO Varazi Bull's head, men pants on a wooden fence. 1976. 70 x 40 Source: Press Release Sotheby's

Avtandil (Auto) Varazi was the main representative of the Georgian non-conformity. Under the influence of the Western avant-garde and pop-art artist from 1962 until his death in 1977, he worked on a series of reliefs on bovine animals, one of which is now in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Varazi worked in various techniques and on different topics, but that relief other than evocative images and high craftsmanship, usually distinguished among his works. This work, consisting of impregnated with glue and colored men's trousers, which were recorded on the rough boards, filled with drama and emotional stress.

Kazakhstan

ALMAGUL Menlibaeva in the Aral Sea Beach 2 2011. Photo Source: Press Release Sotheby's

This picture of the famous series of photographic artist discontinued Almagul Menlibaeva the Aral Sea. Classical image of femininity - Reclining Nude - contrasted here with rigid geometry military caps and with an abandoned fishing barge, symbolizing the collapse of the Soviet economy. Menlibaeva connects seemingly unconnected - traditional folklore and high fashion, flimsy meanings and rigid structure of the male and female ugliness and seductive beauty. One Lightboxes Menlibaeva was recently acquired the collection Louis Vuitton.

Uzbekistan

YAMOL Usmanov No title. From the series "Dreams» 2010. Oil on canvas. 110 x 145 Source: Press Release Sotheby's

Aged in the tradition of figurative painting Usmanov's work shows a strong influence on him of Sufi philosophy and medieval Eastern poetry of Rumi, Navoi and Nizami. This painting is dedicated to the artist's son, dreams is carefully encrypted: birds with cherries in their beaks - good messengers, the snake symbolizes wisdom, soaring birds - the soul, and ornaments on them symbolize creation. In this painting, the artist skillfully uses nostrum Sufi poetry - hidden meanings. Usmanov work full tranquility and at the same time inviting the audience to make their own spiritual journey.

Kyrgyzstan

Alimzhan ZHOROBAEV specter of communism#1. 1994 Black and white print. 60 x 100 Source: Press Release Sotheby's

This work is part of the photographic series, which Alimzhan Zhorobaev created during the breakup of the Soviet Union. He traveled to his native Kyrgyzstan, to capture the characters of the past. These symbols, the propaganda slogans to abandoned monuments to Lenin, once glorifying communism, have become the harbingers of hope for a better future of democracy and capitalism. In this paper, a road sign, "Communism" is based on the background of the Tian Shan. The main component of meaning - the word "Communism", popular in the opposite direction of the road leading to the infinity of the historical narrative.

Source : Press Release Sotheby's