Chance Encounters with Keyvan Paydar and Syinat Zholdosheva

Chance Encounters is our new series of artist talks in which artists—that we’ve met recently in random circumstances—will present their practice and interact with our audience through performance, activities, or even just chatting. They’re not only artist talks, but also a chance to celebrate and encourage serendipity in art and our community. Food (vegan) and drinks will be available at our bar throughout the event.

This month we’re featuring two artists. They are both residents at Meet Factory’s Artist in Residence program: Syinat Zholdosheva & Keyvan Paydar. They’ll additionally present arts organizations they are involved with back home.

Keyvan Paydar (b. 1984 Teheran, lives in Graz) repeatedly addresses controversial social issues such as religiosity, power and the role of gender. Paydar performs his works in a wide variety of artistic media such as performance, sculpture, painting and video. Many works are created—depending on the context—in public venues or in such “non-artistic” locations (e.g. in a hospital during a stay). Virtuosic, unusual and experimental, Paydar represents his self-will as a multimedia artist. Projects such as performances with saxophonist Norbert Stammberger where Paydar builds headgear from washing machine drums that the two musicians wear while freely improvising, testify to that. As a musician and conductor, he also plays and works with the Styrian Improvisers Orchestra (STIO). Since 2013 he has worked as a freelance multimedia artist, art educator, musician and independent curator among others at Atelierhaus Schaumbad Graz where he has also been a board member since 2021.

Syinat Zholdosheva is an artist, zine curator, graphic designer, PR specialist, co-founder of the Biskek School of Contemporary Art (BiSCA) and Art Residence of BiSCA “Besh-Kungei”. For her series of performances, 61 Cards, Syinat has curated a set of cards (symbolizing her two-month residency at Meet Factory) to guide conversations of self-exploration. These cards, akin to magical keys, contain questions designed to provoke deep introspection and open our eyes to inner truths. The performance is an outcome of Syinat’s self-reflection during her residency, a period where she immersed herself in her thoughts, had profound self-dialogues, and learned to live in a state of calm and relaxation, away from everyday distractions.

Bishkek School of Contemporary Art (BiSCA) is a self-organized socially engaged collective which collects, encourages and promotes practices, discussions, experiences of art in its various mediums through many actions. The collective is working on the principles of circulation, accumulation, formation of knowledge. It reflects on art and life, creates spaces for exchange, archives social and artistic activities. Their practices contribute to the development of a methodological and theoretical basis and to the recognition of contemporary art as an integral part of the culture of Kyrgyzstan. The 8 people who work at BiSCA have different experiences, areas of interest and activities, but are all united by interest in art and work on the volunteer basis. 

17:00 Doors Open

18:00 Artist Talks

19:30 61 Cards (Interactive Performance) by Syinat Zholdosheva

20:00 Video Screening & Taped Impro with Keyvan Paydar