Artists Eldar Tagi and Lena Pozdnyakova merge their desire to understand a number of issues: the complexity of personal roots and the urgency of rethinking traditions in the context of a global ecological crisis, their interest in the changing environments under the relentless pressure of human activities, and exploration of complex dynamics of the nature-culture dichotomy as part of their reflections on the notion of the Anthropocene.
Eldar Tagi is a Kazakhstan-born multi-instrumentalist and composer. A predominant feature of Tagi’s practice is live improvised performances which can incorporate anything from computers and field recordings to analog modular synthesizers, and electro-acoustic instruments such as daxophone, guitars, and other stringed instruments, as well as found objects and self-made sound-makers.
Lena Pozdnyakova is an artist, curator, and researcher from Almaty, Kazakhstan. The scope of her work in collaborative projects and research involves questions related to intergenerational and transgenerational trauma, breaking the boundary between the duality– blurring the boundary between life and art, and playful engagement in complex discourses such as those surrounding the discourse on the Anthropocene.
Eldar, specializing in sound, and Lena, focusing on visual art, have been collaborating since 2010. Their work includes compelling audio-visual live performances, music production and releases, and creating spatial installations. Their art delves into the intricate relationship between objects, spaces, and sound, encompassing recordings, acoustic sculptures, and live performances. Their creations have been featured in group exhibitions such as ARCHIVE MACHINES at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG), Sature: Reimagining Ornament at CHAT Hong Kong, and the CICA Art Institute in Korea. Recently, they contributed to the Miss Read x Lumbung radio program in Berlin.
The duo's nomadic lifestyle has led them to participate in numerous festivals worldwide, including Unsound Festival (Krakow/Almaty), CTM Festival (Berlin), Bauhausfest Festival (Dessau), Echo Park Rising Festival (LA), Perpetual Dune Festival (CA), Soundedro Sound Art Festival (CA), Ars Electronica (Linz), Urvakan (Yerevan), Artbatfest, and the Korkut Biennial of Sound Art and New Music (Almaty). Their installations have been featured in venues such as the Kuona Trust gallery in Nairobi, Kenya, Studio106LA in California, and Vorbrenner in Innsbruck, Austria.
Their music, under the moniker the2vvo (thezwo), has been released by labels including Aetherial Records, Klammklang, Shalash, Fort Evil Fruit, and Motto. They have also released several live sets and sound pieces through platforms like Cashmere Radio, Silhouette Tapes, Frequency Asia, MixMag, and the "New East" show on Radar Radio.
Additionally, Lena's and Eldar's work and publications have been highlighted in academic circles, featuring in UCLA's "POOL.LA" journal, RICE University's "Plat" publication, the Southern California Institute of Architecture's "Offramp" journal, and "ISSUES" by the Zurich University of Arts (School of Commons publication).
Website background image by Liza Kin (Berlin).