Burn Zhalmauyz Kempir
The project was displayed during DAVRA collective’s Summer Chilla public program at documenta 15 in Fridericianum Museum, Kassel as part of Saodat Ismailova’s participation as lumbung artist, and Winter Chilla mirroring program in Tashkent. Zhalmauyz Kempіr — evil demonic creature in Kazakh mythology, witch, often with seven heads. This project has two variations: one is an interactive weaving piece depicting seven witches, another is painting. Visitors could engage with the weaving and painting, allowing them to hear women's voices narrating stories, while simultaneously reading these narratives projected on the wall. I collected stories of kelins (young brides) from Central Asia who were not accepted into the new family or ‘returned back’ because they were of a different nationality, older than their husbands, wanted to work, dressed differently, and so on. There is an expression 'sweep under the carpet' when we want to hide something embarrassing or wrong. Often, kelins (young brides) hide the real stories that take place behind the doors of their homes like exploitation, domestic violence, and bad attitudes towards them. Showing the carpet inside out to people, I wanted to show the whole ugly picture that we used to hide.