XanaduART gallery is proud to present Enkhbold Togmidshirev’s solo exhibition “Mining in the Mind”.

In his latest work, Enkhbold uses a variety of atypical materials to create vast, abstract and generally monochrome canvases that are somehow reminiscent of the Mongolian landscape. Each “painting” is unique in terms of technique: in one piece, a large piece of cloth is sewn onto the canvas and painted over, in another, the artist has used crushed horse dung instead of paint, a third piece is made with ashes, and still another one uses powdered metal. The use of such unconventional materials creates a quite mesmerizing textured effect, which endows their abstract composition with a very personal character.

Man’s ambivalent relationship with nature has always been an important theme for Enkhbold. Most pieces emphasize the duality of this relationship, as the artist puts together a light canvas with a dark one, juxtaposing the two in terms of color and texture. This juxtaposition can be extended even further – tradition vs. modernity, nomadism vs. consumerism, subsistence economy vs. intensive mining, etc. For those who are interested to hear more about his work, Enkhbold will give a presentation on Saturday, July 9 between 3 and 5 p.m.

Born in 1978, Enkhbold graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with a painting degree in 2005. This is Enkhbold’s first solo exhibition as a XanaduART gallery artist.

For more information, please contact the gallery at 976-11-310239 or e-mail info@xanaduartgallery.org.

XanaduART is pleased to present “Desertification in Art”, a collection of socially conscious works of art curated by the New Century Art association. The exhibition will be on display at the gallery through June 27, 2011.

“Desertification in Art” exhibition includes multimedia works by Enkhbat Lantuu, Amarsaikhan, Undraa Vandan, Batzorig Dugarsuren, Ariuntugs Tserenpil, Enkhbold Togmidshirev and XanaduART gallery curator Zesee Sodnomtseren. The artists seek to address the problem of desertification in Mongolia  through contemporary art and to show the bitter truth about land degradation caused by human activities.

Works exhibited are deeply rooted in the imagery of the Mongolian steppe and the everyday life of nomads – our culture, our customs, our philosophy and the Mongolian way of thinking. In doing so, the exhibition presents a mix of traditional and modern approaches to contemporary art.  The artists hope that their works will raise awareness about the environmental issues that Mongolia faces and encourage people to protect the Mother Earth.

This exhibition is organized by the New Century Art association in collaboration with XanaduART gallery, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Ministry of Environment of Mongolia.

For more information, please contact the gallery at 976-11-310239 or e-mail info@xanaduartgallery.org.

November 18 – December 19, 2009
Opening: November 18, 2009 at 5 p.m.

XanaduART gallery is pleased to host Badral Bold’s solo exhibition entitled “1985”. This is the first solo show by Badral Bold, who is a XanaduART gallery artist.

Although the self-portrait is the genre of choice for Badral, his portraits are dominated by non-figurative elements designed to disguise and obscure the central subject of the work – the artist himself. He seeks to explore the boundaries of personal and artistic identity, and his works are characterized by blurry and distorted outlines of facial features that seem to continue beyond the canvas. In doing so, Badral questions the representative quality of the portrait and whether individual identity can be adequately expressed by painterly techniques. Accordingly, Badral seeks to vary his choice of medium as he often experiments with different techniques. For instance, his latest series of self-portraits use sheer linoleum instead of canvas, which effectively transforms the atmosphere of the work. As these pieces are meant to be hung with a light source behind them, they seem to embody the ephemeral quality of the artist’s work. The individual portraits in these series are never complete – if one portrait focuses on the eyes, the other brings forth the mouth, while the third is a mere outline of the artist’s face. However, when contemplated in unison, they seem to form a unique whole that attests to the artist’s vision.

A senior year student at the Institute of Fine Arts, Badral joined XanaduART gallery upon winning the first prize in the gallery’s “In pursuit of an ideal insight″ art competition in 2007. In 2008, Badral represented Mongolia at the Tiger Translate Global Showcase held in London, UK. 

“1985” will be on view at XanaduART gallery from November 18 until December 19, 2009. Gallery hours: Monday through Sunday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. For more information, please contact the gallery at 976-11-310239 or e-mail info@xanaduartgallery.org.

July 1 – July 16, 2009
Opening reception: July 1, 2009 at 5 p.m.

XanaduART gallery is pleased to present a group exhibition of exciting new works by Mongol zurag artists to coincide with Naadam festivities.

Mongol zurag, a unique medium that duly attests to the great history of the Mongols, ranks highly among the rich tradition of Mongolian painterly techniques. As such, Mongol zurag is an amalgam of different influences – it is at once a mix of shamanistic nomadic culture of the early Mongols, Buddhist art as well as varios other artistic traditions. Although Mongol zurag had been almost abandoned during the socialist period, its recent revival has produced a number of interesting artists. “Mongol zurag” exhibition celebrates many such artists, whose works combine Mongol zurag techniques with contemporary motifs.

Please contact the gallery at 976-11-310239 (Mongolian) or e-mail info@xanaduartgallery.org (English) for more information regarding this exhibition.

April 17 – May 7, 2009

“XanaduART” gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of Mongolian landscapes by artists Ts.Amgalanbaatar, A.Ankhbaatar, B.Ganbaatar, E.Gansukh, B.Bud, T.Baatartsogt, B.Erdenebat, B.Uurtsaikh and A.Uuganbayar entitled “Nature born through impression”.

The exhibition explores the diversity of Mongolia as artists present their interpretations of the Mongolian landscape and way of life. Wide steppes, tranquil rivers, idyllic country scenes and herders with their ubiquitous horses are the main subjects of “Nature born through impression”. Accordingly, works exhibited are characterized by vivid yet calm colors, which are unique to Mongolian landscape painting.

“Nature born through impression” will be on display until May 7, 2009. Please contact the gallery at 976-11-310239 (Mongolian) or e-mail info@xanaduartgallery.org (English) for more information regarding this exhibition.

1×2 REPETITION 2×1

March 6 – March 25, 2009
Opening reception: March 6, 2009 at 5 p.m.

Batzorig Dugarsuren, better known by the name Bazo, is a fitting representative of the new generation of Mongolian artists to rise to prominence in the last few years. Although he is only 30 years old, Bazo has extensively exhibited both in Mongolia and abroad. In fact, he is one of the few Mongolian artists, who have had successful international gallery shows, having exhibited at an art gallery in St. Petersburg, Russia. This Friday, March 6th, a solo exhibition by the artist will be unveiled at XanaduART gallery.

Bazo’s later work centers upon the idea of eternal motion and reincarnation as symbolized by the form of the circle, an essential image both in the nomadic philosophy of Mongols and Buddhism. In this sense, the circle has multiple meanings in Bazo’s work – it is at once a representation of Mongolian history through the millennia, a personal quest for meaning as well as an artistic element full of possibilities. The artist approaches his subject in many different ways: he paints multi-colored circles on canvases, creates intricate wooden “wheels” or draws circumferences on the ground using odd archaic constructions made of logs, ropes and stones. Bazo’s circles provoke a variety of associations: from the Mongolian ger, the shamanic tambourine and the complicated symbolism of the circle in Buddhist philosophy to western land art and op art.

Although many artists have worked with the abstracted form of the circle, Bazo imparts a uniquely original vision to the subject matter through his masterful use of color and composition. According to the artist, the circle is a perfect shape, which compels him to seek its imperfections by either deforming its perfect form or creating an illusion of discontinuity within it. In some paintings, the form of the circle is nearly unrecognizable – its edges become blurred as the shape is dissipated by a few forceful strokes of the brush. Bazo often lets his paint drip on the canvases, which endows the rigid structure of his work with a spontaneous quality. Often his paintings have an eerie sense of deepness that draws the viewer into the abyss; however, when the artist plays with bright pink and neon green paint, his work becomes quite cheerful.   

Born in 1979, Bazo graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with a painting degree in 2004. “1×2 REPETITION 2×1″ is his third solo exhibition.

Please contact the gallery at 976-11-310239 (Mongolian) or e-mail info@xanaduartgallery.org (English) for more information regarding this exhibition.

THE EXTRA OBJECT

February 13 – March 4, 2009
Opening: February 13, 2009 at 5 p.m.

XanaduART gallery is pleased to present B. BADRAL’s solo exhibition entitled “The extra object”. The exhibition showcases the artist’s latest portraits and nudes. 

Badral’s work greatly differs from the traditional definition of portraiture given the highly abstract nature of his works. Badral is not interested in the outward appearance of his subjects, instead, he wants to portray their inner world with its suffering, hidden desires and inexpressible thoughts. Accordingly, he gives seemingly absurd titles to his paintings. For instance, a painting of a young man, whose facial features are merely outlined, is entitled “Paper, pen, fallen scratches and head”. The ambiguity and incomprehensiveness of the titles is mirrored by the artist’s simplicity of composition. Badral’s works are always self-referential – he is at once both the subject and the artist. Thus, his work abounds with mirror images – often, a portrait consists of two separate canvases depicting the same subject twice.

Born in 1985, B. Badral graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in 2007 with a painting major. His work has been shown in various group exhibitions in UB, including UMA’s annual “Spring” exhibitions. “The extra object” is Badral’s first solo exhibition.

Please contact the gallery at 976-11-310239 (Mongolian) or e-mail info@xanaduartgallery.org (English) for more information regarding this exhibition.

SELECTED WORKS EXHIBITED

January 20 – February 10, 2009

“XanaduART” gallery is proud to host its annual “In pursuit of an ideal insight” art competition. The competition, which aims to showcase this year’s best new paintings by emerging artists, is an important part of “XanaduART” gallery’s pledge to foster artistic creativity and encourage innovative endeavors. This is the third installment of the annual event. The competition is judged by a panel of experts upon the following merits: creativity, composition and expression of meaning. Winners of past year’s competitions have gone on to show their work both in Mongolia and abroad: last year’s prize winner Bold Badral represented Mongolia at the Tiger Translate Global Showcase event in London, UK in September, 2008.

More than 50 artists entered this year’s competition, making the exhibition an interesting cross-section of Mongolian contemporary art scene. Although more than 100 works were received, the panel of judges selected 15 shortlisted works to be displayed at XanaduART gallery beginning January 20, and the two winning works of art will be announced at the closing of the exhibition. The winners of this year’s competition will accompany XanaduART gallery artists to the CIGE 2009 art fair to be held in Beijing, China in April, 2009.

UPDATE

B. Orkhontuul’s painting entitled “Right now” and T. Erdenetuya’s “Vital” triptych were declared the winning works of art in XanaduART gallery’s “In pursuit of an ideal insight III” art competition. Both artists are students of the Institute of Fine Arts, Ulaanbaatar.

For more information about this exhibition please call XanaduART gallery at 976-11-310239 (Mongolian) or e-mail info@xanaduartgallery.org (English).

WORKS EXHIBITED

December 12 – 26, 2008
Opening reception: December 12, 2009 at 4 p.m.

XanaduART gallery is pleased to present a joint exhibition by artists D.Batmunkh and Sh.Yadamsuren entitled “U2 color”, which features watercolor works by both artists.

For more information about this exhibition please call XanaduART gallery at 976-11-310239 (Mongolian) or e-mail info@xanaduartgallery.org (English).

November 28 – December 10, 2008
Opening reception: November 28 at 5 p.m.

XanaduART gallery is hosting a group exhibition by a group of students of the Institute of Fine Arts entitled “To be continued”.

For more information about this exhibition please call XanaduART gallery at 976-11-310239 (Mongolian) or e-mail info@xanaduartgallery.org (English).