The exhibition “12” presents travelling sketches of twelve countries in
Latin America, where the artist,  Sutakov Temirei Vasilevich, spent a year and a half. The viewer is given an
opportunity to appreciate the priceless “luggage” of the traveler, which
harmoniously fits into the space of the library; it has become the result of
the study and research of the cultures of pre-Columbian America. 

‏‏‎ "XII" Hall. North, Window №1 (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

The exhibition consists of three parts (halls) and it is located in different rooms of the library. An active “dialogue” takes place between sketches and book editions - each work choice is carefully pondered over and is inseparably linked with the idea of the exhibition. The extraordinary vision and unique personal experience of the loner traveler from the coldest and harshest part of the Earth – the Far North to one of the hottest and brightest places on the planet, the collision of different, but at the same time similar cultures - are reflected in all presented works with fresh eye. What does arise on the border of the two worlds, their past and present, each viewer will find the answers to this question and many other questions.

‏‏‎ ‏‏‎National Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Hall "XII" North

The installation is constructed from display cases in the form of a Roman numeral XII, which depicts a number on the clock face of a mechanical clock and points to the North. Inside the display cases, there are sketches made in different parts of the twelve Latin American countries, and one more display case with the artist's working and personal belongings. The exposition itself is located in the historical hall of the library with a classic interior, surrounded by the views of the portraits guarding and keeping the strict silence around, where you can hear only the ticking of the old clock. Everything seems frozen in waiting for the new calculation…

‏‏‎ "XII" Hall. North, Window №10 (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Rainbow community. Stranger (2017) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

The portrait of one of the members of the eco-hippie community “Arcoiris Comunidad” in Selva of the Peruvian Amazon.

‏‏‎ "XII" Hall. North, Window №11 (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Brazilian (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

The drawing was made in one of the small communities in Selva of the Brazilian Amazon (on the river Arapiuns), during my trip across the whole river Amazon.

Stranger (2017) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

The portrait from imagination. Was made during my long staying in an incredibly beautiful place near the lake. In the village of San Pedro La Laguna.

‏‏‎ "XII" Hall. North, Window №12 (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Yuca collecting (2017) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

The family that I stayed on the island, was incredibly friendly to me. their clothing, culture, and collecting harvest have saved a centuries-old tradition. Yuca (Cassava) itself is a product from South America.

‏‏‎ "XII" Hall. North, Window №15 (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Unidentified object (2017) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

The image of imagination. Was made in the garden near the house of one of my Mexican friend, for a couple of hours.

‏‏‎ "XII" Hall. North, Window №16 (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Quetzalquiteco (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

The collective image of the birds of Central and South America (in particular - Quetzal), as well as one of the main gods of the Aztec pantheon and the name of historical person - Quetzalcoatl. Was made after meeting the bird Quetzal in Monteverde Park (Costa Rica).

‏‏‎ "XII" Hall. North, Window №18 (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Old timer (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Drawing from imagination. The shamans of native America and Siberia having taken one of the worthy positions in the exhibition. The security guards and defenders of expositions.

‏‏‎ ‏‏‎National Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

"Compass" Hall. East - North

The installation is a kind of compass, the arrows of which point to the four poles of the Earth, thus leaving a free choice in the direction.

‏‏‎ "Compass" Hall. West - South. East - North (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

"Compass" Hall. West - South

“The Compass” hall contains experimental sketches of the artist. They are presented together with books about Mesoamerican culture in the foyer of the 3rd floor. The link between the storage of writing and fine arts exhibition is the poem of the Russian poet and writer Alexander Blok – “12“, which combines the exhibition and the poem with the general name and theme of “the revolution”, but in its different interpretations.

Stranger (2017) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Portrait from imagination. Color negative drawing by pen (experiment).

Untitled (2017) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Portrait from imagination. Stranger in the hat.

Stranger (2017) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Portrait of a male from imagination (experiment).

‏‏‎ ‏‏‎National Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

"Compass" Hall

In the foyer of the 4th floor there is another part of experimental sketches of “The Compass” hall. They are put with books on one of the favorite themes of the artist - Mexican folk art, Mexican wave of monumental painting of the 1920s-1960s.

Stranger (2017) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Untitled (2017) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Stranger (2017) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

"Pyramid" Hall. East "Pyramid" Hall. EastNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

"Pyramid" Hall. East

An installation "The Pyramid" is located in the hall of the same name. It looks similar to the Mesoamerican pyramids of Maya, Aztec and other civilizations. Pyramids of Kukulkan in Chichen - Itza, Sun and Moon in Teotihuacan (Mexico) and many others. The top of the pyramid points strictly to the East towards sunrise.

Ancient civilizations of America primarily used the pyramids for ritual ceremonies, astronomical research and, of course, they served as a calendar.

The installation is completely constructed from library catalog boxes, which gives to it extra meaning and food for the mind and imagination of the viewer. Here you can fully realize the role of the library as a huge information base and organically compare its function with the function of the pyramids of Mexico, Guatemala and others.

"Pyramid" Hall. East (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

The pyramid inside the pyramid touches upon the theme of a geometric figure - a triangle. Raises the question of the American Indians' knowledge of the triangle shape as a geometric fractal.

"Pyramid" Hall. East (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

The mural of the sunrise and the ceremony of meeting the sun, which is held with Sakha people once in a calendar year, plays an important role in the design of the hall’s space and draws a parallel between the two cultures: the culture of the peoples of Siberia and the culture of the indigenous peoples of America.

"Pyramid" Hall. East (2018) by Sutakov Temirei VasilevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Every year on June 21, according to the Sakha people traditions, the summer solstice is celebrated. It is associated with the cult of solar deities. And it is the border between the old and the new, past and future.
According to Mayan scientists, August 12 assumes the beginning of a new era, and is considered as a starting point in the Mayan calendar which was calculated in the years ahead. In addition, the date December 21 (winter solstice) 2012 became “the beginning of a new cycle”.
The construction acquires a sacred meaning in this context and not a conceptual one.

Sutakov Temirei at the exhibition opening (2018) by Sofroneev Eugene NikolaevichNational Library of Republic Sakha (Yakutia)

Everything started in childhood. We had a room with a home library in our apartment. My father, an artist ethnographer by profession, was keen on art books, and my mother, a librarian, a cultural worker, strongly supported the common family interest in reading books. No wonder my sisters and I grew up in company of so many books. I distinctly remember the day when I saw in some book a photo with a tribe of Indians. Most likely, it was the Indians of the Amazon Selva. At that time, and even after many years, I did not understand what role that photo illustration would play in my life. I fully realized the connection between that illustration and travel even not being on my long trip but only when it was finished!
Then I decided that the exhibition “12” should be held in the library!

Sutakov Temirei

Credits: Story

Maksimova Sargylana,
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, Director of the National Library of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Alexey Ivanov,
author and curator of the project «Culture of Yakutia in the world space» (inclusion of regional cultural of institutions of Yakutia into the project Google Cultural Institute), initiator of support for the Yakut language and languages of indigenous peoples in machine translators, research fellow of the National Library of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Lika Noeva,
written

Temirei Sutakov,
written

Lika Noeva,
translated and corrected

Exhibition of 2018

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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