For Immediate Release
March 13, 2024
CLARK ART INSTITUTE PRESENTS
TWO FILMS FROM SAODAT ISMAILOVA
Williamstown, Massachusetts—On Thursday, April 18 at 6 pm, the Clark Art Institute shows two films from director Saodat Ismailova, ARAL: Fishing in an Invisible Sea and The Haunted. Journeying across natural, mythological, and sacred spaces, Ismailova’s films mark cinematic time through Central Asian songs of everyday survival. The free screenings take place in the Clark’s auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.
Ismailova’s first feature-length film, ARAL: Fishing in an Invisible Sea (2004, 52 minutes) follows three generations of fishermen living near the Aral Sea, the site of a Soviet environmental catastrophe and an ongoing water crisis. Like ARAL, The Haunted (2017, 23 minutes) documents the devastating effects of colonialism on the landscape, and the preservation of nature in Central Asian spiritual life. The short film reanimates the Turkestan tiger, an animal that went extinct during Russian colonization, traversing the terrain of collective memory through interviews, dreams, and archival footage.
Free. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0524. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events.
ABOUT THE CLARK
The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Clark library, consisting of some 300,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.
The Clark, which has a three-star rating in the Michelin Green Guide, is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Its 140-acre campus includes miles of hiking and walking trails through woodlands and meadows, providing an exceptional experience of art in nature. Galleries are open 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday, from September through June, and daily in July and August. Admission is free January through March and is $20 from March through December; admission is free year-round for Clark members, all visitors age 21 and under, and students with a valid student ID. Free admission is also available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; and EBT Card to Culture. For information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.
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