Eurasia

​​The EURASIA program is a critical continuation of Joseph Beuys' concept of Eurasia, planning a network that connects artists and artisans from central Asia. Beuys incorporated the traditional motifs of Eurasian culture into his own work and performances, creating a vision of reconciliation between East and West. 

But how much did the so-called West learn about the history of Eurasia, more than 30 years after Beuys' death? Western countries (including Japan) have long projected fantasies and adoration for Eurasia, but wasn't this another form of Orientalism? To consider these questions and shed light on Eurasian culture’s complexity and diversity, we will reenact the concept of Jamchi, a historical postal relay network spread throughout Eurasia by the Mongol Empire. We will organize a web of artisans and artists working mainly in Central Asian regions (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan), to retrace the cultural diffusion and mixture that have shaped Eurasia.