스킵네비게이션

My Ger, 2015, Wood, felt, cotton, 160×250×250cm

❑ artist bio

Enkhbold Togmidshirev was born in 1978 in the nomadic family of Ovorhangay, Mongolia, lives and works in Ulaanbaatar. He started art studying at Mongol’s only art school, Institute of Fine Art, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia when no class for installation art was offered so that he quenched his thirst for conceptual art through visiting artists from abroad. And he was able to expand his art that way.  Ever since, he has practiced as contemporary artist while participating in so many exhibitions with his colleagues. He is now considered as most prominent contemporary artist showing his painting, installation, and performance both in Asia and Europe. He has participated in many international exhibitions including: The 56^th Venice-Mongolia Pavilion(2015), The 9^th Shanghai Biennale (2012), Asia triennale Manchester 11 (2011), etc.

❑ introduction

The art of Enkhbold is based on the firm identity that was formed with his experience during his life as nomad, in which he has to constantly move around looking for land and water necessary for survival. That he uses natural materials and things that he found on a daily basis in nomadic culture have been the coherent fact throughout his art practices. Togmidshirev’s abstract painting series, Huren Del (2014~2015), for example, he boldly used natural materials from Mongolia such as horse shit, felt, etc. to raise question on the essence of painting. In an another occasion, Other Home(2015), an exhibition of The 56^th Venice Biennale-Mongolia Pavilion, he strode urban streets of the city carrying small mobile ger on his back, together with shoulders and arms for other objects to explore the relationship between the ger based on the nature of Mongol and the new urban environment where he stayed at the time. ‘Ger’ in his performance is a housing unit for only one person. He used this as an instrument to raise question on the human relationship with the nature in contemporary society. This, in turn, plays central role to incorporate contemporary art with culture of nomadic tradition that represents his identity.

For the work to be presented in the Festival, My Ger (2015), he also uses objects such as cow horns, hides and a ger directly shipped from Mongolia. Togmidshirev’s performance in front of the sea will present how he recognize strange space and the process in which he gradually forms an organic relation with the space. Of course, it may strike you the actions he will show during his performance as strange and puzzling because it involves such as wrapping his head with animal hide or ignite lights with horse shit, etc. However, one also can not deny that his strong message from nonverbal, immediate performance offers an opportunity to feel primitive nature itself to the audience who are used to urban environment.