Muynak, Karakalpakstan
Desert sands, the serene silence of a parched landscape and superhumans who continue to celebrate life and create new meanings.
The Aral Sea once was the fourth largest lake in the world. Over the past decades, anthropogenic factors have led to its reduction to a shadow of its former size and created the most acute environmental problem in Central Asia.
In 2017, enthusiasts of Uzbekistan decided to create a project for promoting the huge potential of the Aral Sea region as a charming tourist destination, creating a positive image of the region among foreign youth through attraction to cultural and entertainment events. Thus, a festival of electronic music, art and science “Stihia” was born. Having begun solely as a musical event, the festival has developed into a multifaceted movement that goes far beyond the boundaries of electronic music. Today “Stihia” is a mixture of several projects involving musicians, DJs, producers, artists and scientists. All of them are united by a single goal - to create a powerful attraction in a very unusual place on earth - on the shores of the bygone Aral Sea.
From June 5 to 8, the fifth large-scale international festival “Stihia” 2024 was organized at the Aral Sea ship cemetery in the Muynak region of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. For the first time in the history of the festival, the event lasted for four days. Musicians, DJs, producers, artists and scientists from all over the world united with the common goal of reviving the region of environmental disaster with the power of art, science, the unity of the human spirit and hope for the best.
For festival guests who are ready to create their own cozy haven among the sand dunes, camping in the desert has been created as an authentic accommodation option.
DJs from South Korea, Taiwan, Italy, Georgia, Israel, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Japan, Latvia and other countries participated in “Stihia”. Electronic music in different genres sounded on four stages, creating a unique atmosphere where the special magic of sounds awakened the deepest emotions that could transport listeners to another dimension. Bright house rhythms, fragile ethnic music with live instruments. Warm and light melodies for dreamers and lovers. A dark and powerful atmosphere for lovers of energetic sounds. Academic avant-garde with Turkic roots from Great Britain and ritual tribal rhythms in Tunisia, Japanese ambient on vibraphone and playful new age fantasies from Latvia, underground techno vibes of Kazakhstan and modular electronics of the domestic scene.
“Stihia” is not only about music and the spirit of adventure, but also about sustainable development and education. It brought together curious minds from around the world at the educational forum "Stihia N+1" once again in order to continue the dialogue about how today's innovations, science, culture and economics influence our future.
“Stihia Gen” has become part of the festival supporting young talented children in the region. This is a non-profit project that develops the interest of students in the region in IT, exact sciences, art, music, design and sports. This year the project focuses on electronic music. Students from the Muynak district music school performed on one of the stages of the festival as aspiring electronic music performers.
As part of the “Stihia” festival, an exhibition of works of art by Karakalpak and Uzbek artists of the “Stihia Art” project was organized at the Museum of the History of the Aral Sea.
As part of the “Stihia” festival, an exhibition of works of art by Karakalpak and Uzbek artists of the “Stihia Art” project was organized at the Museum of the History of the Aral Sea.
In works of art, the idea of faith in the changing of times and the hope that the end always represents the beginning of a new one is clearly expressed.
The festival program included all kinds of activities: morning exercises, yoga, meditation, board games, dance therapy. Master classes were organized on painting and graphics, embossing copper and brass products, applying national patterns to fabric, and face art.
The authentic flavor of the energetic national dances and songs of the Karakalpaks was conveyed to the guests of the festival and residents of the republic in a large concert program with the participation of national folklore performers “Aykulash”.
A large concert program with the participation of national folklore performers “Aykulash” was performed to the guests of the festival and residents of the republic.
The strength of the human spirit and the manifesto of life became the main idea of all the art objects of “Stihia”. Installations, which became part of the large-scale history of the festival, were made from environmentally friendly materials that are resistant to the harsh nature of Muynak.
The fifth international festival “Stihia” of 2024 ended with a ceremony of symbolic burning of the main installation of the event at the first rays of the rising Sun. The art object, depicting a hand invitingly turned to the sky, personified a symbol of a request for the favor of the forces of nature to the inhabitants of the Earth.
