Patchwork Bishkek

Bishkek -  People, fences, houses, roads are made up of a patchwork. We recognise the traditional patchwork style in the quilts that are aired on early spring days. We see the patchwork in the maintenance of roads, buildings and the electricity network. In and around buildings you see many more or less creative solutions to everyday problems.All the pipelines except the sewer system are above ground. They form a creative knitting and knotting network along the roads forming arches at the entrances of the courtyards of apartment buildings.The many fences are ‘ready made’ of a quality an artist can be jealous of: made from hospital beds, bottles and mud among others. And everywhere there is asbestos, in roofs, fences, the cladding of the hot water pipes for city heating. Not bad when intact, but more often than not broken into small pieces or being transported. The Soviet era is still visible everywhere. In the constructions but also in traditions such as Subbotnik. Meanwhile the new capitalist economy is evident in the casinos, beauty salons and nightclubs. The American army is not visible in the city but you know the US air-force base where the troops depart for Afghanistan is not far away. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the statue of Lenin was simply moved to the back of the government building. The majority of Bishkek’s Muslims pray at Lenin’s feet. Every person in Bishkek carries multiple identities so they say.
Lino Hellings – Bishkek Lab