The 1st Contemporary Art Festival ArtBatFest was organized in 2010 by a local initiative group of artists and businessmen In 2011 the Festival achieved international scale. The Festival’s direction – Public Art – includes such categories as installations (site-specific art), paintings and graphics, photo and video art, theatre, performance, various music styles. In 2011 the initiative group created public association “Eurasian Cultural Alliance”, which will be an official organizer of future ArtBatFest Festivals.

WHERE: Almaty, Zhibek Zholy (ARBAT) pedestrian zone, parks, squares, building facades, galleries and shopping centres

WHEN: May – June 2012

WHY:

1. To boost the development of Kazakhstan contemporary art.

2. To organize a traditional, annual and anticipated event drawing tourists both from other parts of Kazakhstan, and from other countries. Such events attract millions of visitors annually and have a serious impact on the development of tourism infrastructure.

3. To attract the attention of the international cultural society to this event and to contemporary Kazakhstan installation artists and creative youth.

4. To share the work of Kazakhstan and foreign artists with wide sectors of the population.

5. To participate in the process of developing the urban environment.

THE THEME:

2012: The Beginning of the World – What is the near future for the mankind?

Is it fraught with the real danger or it is just a PR campaign benefiting someone? How can we retain our spirituality and responsibility at the threshold of such significant changes? The theme of the Festival “2012: The Beginning of the World” is an attempt to gather large scale and diversified artistic creations of various genres at the exposition sites, and to set optimistic, positive images against pessimistic, dark worldviews. A bright future awaits us, and it begins for everyone right now – that is the main energetic and conceptual message behind the basic idea of the Festival.

WHAT WILL THE 2012 EVENT INVOLVE:

The Opening Ceremony and Carnival of contemporary song and dance groups, theatrical companies and performers.

• installations from famous Kazakhstan and international artists will be set up at Arbat, in Parks (Central Park of Culture and Recreation, 28 Guardsmen-Panfilovets Park and the Presidential Park), nearby Astana Square, in front of the Sports Palace, Republic Palace, School Children’s Palace, the Academy of Sciences and a number of shopping and entertainment centres.
• building facades requiring architectural and designer’s optimization will be set up.
• master classes and creative meetings with the participants in the Festival will be held in Almaty galleries.
• photo stands will be set up at Arbat and in public areas near Astana Square. Almaty’s galleries will house thematic exhibitions.

For more information, please visit ArtBatFest website.