The international eco-art festival “Interpreting the History of Pollution – Art Prospect & TRASH-5” in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on September 20 – October 22, 2023 brought over fifty artists from seven countries to create contemporary art installations, performances, and public educational events. Listen to a podcast by Cathy Byrd (Fresh Art International) featuring some of the participating artists and activists – Bermet Borubaeva, Ellen Harvey, sTo Len, Ronja Roemmelt, Mishiko Sulakauri, Aimeerim Tursalieva, and Begimai Zhunusova. For a deeper look into one of the Festival’s projects that remains open to the public – Trash Museum of Bishkek created by US artist sTo Len in collaboration with local activists, artists and sanitation workers – check out the recently published zine.
At the intersection of art, science, and trash, the Festival promoted a better understanding of pollution, waste management, and strategies to deal these intractable world-wide issues. At the Oak Park gallery and other venues and public spaces in Bishkek, exhibitions focused the public’s attention on the morphology of trash and global waste and encouraged the audience’s understanding of the impact of the pollution on their communities. In Altyn-Kazyk, a settlement on the outskirts of Bishkek near the city landfill where toxic smoke envelopes the area throughout the year, artists worked on site specific installations and performances. Past Trash Festivals organized by BiSCA and local activists have brought attention to this environmental and social crisis zone.
