July 21, 17:10

Bekzod Abdullaev's Landscape Exhibition 'Watercolor is Jazz' Takes Place in Tashkent

In Tashkent, in a small courtyard located behind the blue gates of house No. 84 on Shokhjahon Street in the Yakkasaray district of the capital, the landscape exhibition by artist Bekzod Abdullaev titled 'Watercolor is Jazz' is being held.

Exhibition Venue

This courtyard is lush with greenery, and a narrow path leads to an old two-story mud-brick house whose walls and balcony are covered in ivy. The house, which has been rented by the 'Shams-i-Kamar' theater studio since last autumn, now functions as a co-working space for creative people, where film screenings, master classes, and various exhibitions are held. Within this intimate space, known as the 'Shokhjahon 84' House of Creativity, young artist Bekzod Abdullaev presented his exposition 'Landscapes. Watercolor Series' over the weekend.

Visitors are asked to remove their shoes before entering, creating the feeling of visiting a home rather than attending a traditional gallery. About twenty A3 watercolors without framing are hung on the plain white walls. The artist deliberately refrained from titles so that the viewer can interpret the works independently, without being constrained by the author's meanings.

Bekzod Abdullaev explains his approach by stating that it was important for him simply to paint and enjoy the process itself, allowing the viewer to see in the paintings what resonates with them personally.

Imagery and Technique

At first glance, the watercolors may appear to be abstract landscapes, showing outlines of trees, a sunset sky, as well as circles imitating the sun or moon through the foliage. However, upon closer inspection, the image transforms into spots, strokes, swirls, and soft gradients, reminiscent of fading memories.

These works were created over the past six months and combine images from the author's memories of summer holidays at his grandmother's village, evening walks near the 'Cosmonauts' metro station, and quiet moments among trees in city parks. Abdullaev describes his watercolors as evocative and fleeting, emphasizing that they convey mood and atmosphere rather than striving for realism, leaving room for personal associations for each viewer.

Philosophy of Choosing Watercolor

The artist uses watercolor not only as a technique mastered during his studies in book graphics at the Kamoliddin Bekzod Institute of Arts and Design but also as a preferred tool for landscapes due to its unpredictability and freedom. He notes that unlike oil, where control over the process is high, watercolor always leaves room for chance. Although working with watercolor requires high precision due to the difficulty of corrections, it is precisely in this unpredictability, according to Abdullaev, that its charm lies. He compares oil to music recorded in a studio, and watercolor to jazz, which demands improvisation and trust in feeling.

This improvisational nature is evident in every work: part of the composition is determined by the author, while another part is shaped by the properties of the watercolor itself—its fluidity, transparency, and ability to suddenly change shape. The artist believes that the intimate setting enhances the personal connection between the viewer and the works, allowing them to immerse themselves in a state of silence contrasting with the city noise.

Exhibition Information

The series of watercolor landscapes by Bekzod Abdullaev can be viewed until August 18th. The 'Shokhjahon 84' Creative House is located at Shokhjahon Street (Shahjahkhan), 84, and welcomes visitors daily from 09:00 to 21:00. Entry to the exhibition is free.

olhardigital.com.brJuly 21, 23:56

Instagram launches tool to change music in old posts while keeping metrics

Instagram has implemented a new feature that allows users to replace the soundtrack of existing posts on the feed and in carousels. Previously, if a user wanted to change the music, they had to delete the content and republish it.

Feature and Benefits

This new feature, called 'Replace Audio,' ensures that all performance indicators of the post remain intact, including likes, comments, shares, and reach. Meta, the company responsible for the social network, stated that this change expands the editing options available to content creators.

The update especially benefits creators and brands looking to modernize the audio of a post without losing the traction it has already accumulated. The music swap can be used both to follow current trends and to update old material according to new sound preferences.

How to Use the New Option

To access this feature, the user must open the post, select the menu represented by two lines in the upper right corner, navigate to the editing area, and then choose the audio replacement option.

With the introduction of this tool, Instagram eliminated the need to choose between preserving the achieved performance or updating the content, allowing the soundtrack to be modified without deleting previously recorded interaction data. The platform emphasized that this feature is part of a larger strategy to give greater creative control to its users, seeking to improve useful tools for the community.

Context of Platform Updates

In recent years, Instagram has introduced features that have drawn criticism from some users. One example cited was a function that allowed editing public images using artificial intelligence, which was later removed by the company after an evaluation indicated that it did not achieve the expected result.

Another case mentioned was the launch of the 'Instants' feature, designed to share real-time moments. However, this tool received complaints from users who reported difficulties understanding its operation, resulting in the accidental sending of images to a large list of contacts.