Pastan on the Street, 2005, video, 2:53 min

Erbol Meldibekov’s Pastan on the Street introduces Pastan, a fictive state conceived by the artist, a parody about a group of Central Asian countries whose names end with “stan,” perceived by the West as a single bloc. The video, which is a part of a larger project addressing the image and stereotypes of Central Asia, takes place on the street: two men appear in attire looking like a variation of tradition garb, which changes as they move between public sites. The younger man absorbs a barrage of slaps and curses from the elder with stoic indifference and an expressionless face, neither objecting nor attempting to defend himself. The responses of the passersby range from shock to giggle to total disregard of the scene which resembles street theater, confronting the viewer with a set of clichés about the violence and submissiveness supposedly inherent to Central Asian culture.