2026
2026
SANO Impact Hub is Tajikistan's first independent creative hub, based in Dushanbe. Alongside its production, exhibition and community platforms, SANO maintains a continuous educational practice for artists, creative professionals and the general public.
"27 Artistic Strategies" is an original course by Karolina Peskisheva consisting of 30 lectures. The programme offers a systematized model of the contemporary artistic process, approaching it not through styles or movements but through 27 universal artistic strategies. Mastering these strategies enables artists to analyse existing works, navigate current practices and consciously construct their own projects.
The course examines the mechanisms of artistic appropriation and the reinterpretation of cultural heritage, work with chance and materiality, digital culture, research-based practices, institutional critique, documentality, viewer participation, work with memory and archives, and other key approaches of contemporary art. Theoretical blocks are accompanied by analysis of works by international artists and case studies of specific artistic projects.
The course examines the mechanisms of artistic appropriation and the reinterpretation of cultural heritage, work with chance and materiality, digital culture, research-based practices, institutional critique, documentality, viewer participation, work with memory and archives, and other key approaches of contemporary art. Theoretical blocks are accompanied by analysis of works by international artists and case studies of specific artistic projects.
A flexible individual mentorship programme for emerging and mid-career artists - methodological support for professional artistic development. The programme has been developed, and continues to evolve, at the intersection of artistic practice, art history and art theory, helping participants build a coherent artistic position and a long-term professional strategy.
Each mentorship track consists of three interconnected
components:
1. Concept
2. Practice
3. Strategy
The programme does not replace professional art education but extends it: the individual approach and methodological framework allow artists to shape their professional development deliberately rather than leaving it to chance. More than 200 participants have completed the programme, and many have gone on to collaborate with leading international institutions, including the Venice Biennale and Art Basel.
Each mentorship track consists of three interconnected
components:
1. Concept
2. Practice
3. Strategy
The programme does not replace professional art education but extends it: the individual approach and methodological framework allow artists to shape their professional development deliberately rather than leaving it to chance. More than 200 participants have completed the programme, and many have gone on to collaborate with leading international institutions, including the Venice Biennale and Art Basel.
A three-month intensive in which participants, guided by mentors, master the skills of conceptualizing, budgeting and presenting an exhibition project through a press release and a curatorial text. Participants work with material from their own exhibition projects.
Module 1. Curatorial Research and Exhibition Concept - participants shape the concept of the project, defining their authorial position and working with theoretical sources and references under a mentor's guidance.
Module 2. Working with Artists - the module is devoted to shaping a curatorial strategy for engaging with artists and integrating their projects into a unified exhibition concept.
Module 3. Curatorial Texts and Professional Documentation - participants master the principles of preparing the key written materials of an exhibition project: the curatorial text, concept description, open call and wall texts.
Module 4. Delivering the Exhibition Project - a practical block devoted to exhibition project management. It covers the basics of budgeting, the preparation of project documentation, the drafting of press releases and the planning of a communications strategy.
Module 1. Curatorial Research and Exhibition Concept - participants shape the concept of the project, defining their authorial position and working with theoretical sources and references under a mentor's guidance.
Module 2. Working with Artists - the module is devoted to shaping a curatorial strategy for engaging with artists and integrating their projects into a unified exhibition concept.
Module 3. Curatorial Texts and Professional Documentation - participants master the principles of preparing the key written materials of an exhibition project: the curatorial text, concept description, open call and wall texts.
Module 4. Delivering the Exhibition Project - a practical block devoted to exhibition project management. It covers the basics of budgeting, the preparation of project documentation, the drafting of press releases and the planning of a communications strategy.
A five-day practice-oriented intensive devoted to ways of integrating craft practices into the contemporary creative economy. The programme includes a study of the theoretical foundations of how the creative economy functions, an examination of practical examples of integrating crafts into contemporary art and design, and a set of practical assignments enabling participants to strengthen and develop the skills needed for effective work.
The training consists of five lecture and seminar sessions:
1. “Cultural Economy and the Value of Craft” - an introduction to the concept of the cultural economy and an analysis of the tangible and intangible value of craft labour.
2. “The Contemporary Value of Traditional Craft” - an exploration of the role of craft in the global cultural environment and of the significance of manual labour, local materials and traditional technologies in the age of mass production and algorithmic culture. The programme considers craft as a source of new artistic languages, cultural diversity and sustainable creative practices.
3. “Designing and Developing a Craft Practice” - an overview of contemporary models of craft development - from the preservation of traditional forms to their integration into contemporary design, digital products and interdisciplinary projects.
4. “Practical Integration and Professional Promotion” - a practical module devoted to tools for professional development. It covers the principles of self- presentation, the use of social media, and the search for grants, open calls and other professional opportunities, as well as analysis of peers' successful practices and strategies for reaching new audiences and markets.
5. “Copyright, Cultural Identity and Professional Risks” - the concluding module is devoted to the protection of intellectual property, the documentation of creative work and the preservation of cultural identity. Particular attention is paid to the ethical use of traditions, the prevention of cultural exploitation and the building of a sustainable professional practice.
The training consists of five lecture and seminar sessions:
1. “Cultural Economy and the Value of Craft” - an introduction to the concept of the cultural economy and an analysis of the tangible and intangible value of craft labour.
2. “The Contemporary Value of Traditional Craft” - an exploration of the role of craft in the global cultural environment and of the significance of manual labour, local materials and traditional technologies in the age of mass production and algorithmic culture. The programme considers craft as a source of new artistic languages, cultural diversity and sustainable creative practices.
3. “Designing and Developing a Craft Practice” - an overview of contemporary models of craft development - from the preservation of traditional forms to their integration into contemporary design, digital products and interdisciplinary projects.
4. “Practical Integration and Professional Promotion” - a practical module devoted to tools for professional development. It covers the principles of self- presentation, the use of social media, and the search for grants, open calls and other professional opportunities, as well as analysis of peers' successful practices and strategies for reaching new audiences and markets.
5. “Copyright, Cultural Identity and Professional Risks” - the concluding module is devoted to the protection of intellectual property, the documentation of creative work and the preservation of cultural identity. Particular attention is paid to the ethical use of traditions, the prevention of cultural exploitation and the building of a sustainable professional practice.
2025
2025
A practice-oriented programme combining a theoretical understanding of the role of craft in the global cultural process with practical tools for professional development, helping participants articulate the value of their own craft practice, expand its applications and master strategies for promotion and for the protection of their authorial interests. The programme draws on UNESCO framework approaches to cultural and creative education.
The programme consists of three modules and is accompanied by a series of practical assignments; upon completion, participants present their projects and receive expert feedback.
– “Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Art” - a cycle of 12 lectures focused on methods of artistic reinterpretation and on articulating a position in relation to identity, memory, migration and historical narratives. The cycle introduces participants to methodologies of artistic research, archival work and post-documentary practices, as well as responsible engagement with tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
– “How to Package and Promote an Artistic Brand” - a programme of 8 lectures introducing participants to the methodology of artistic research, the strategizing of artistic practice and the principles of professional self-presentation. Participants learn to articulate their own artistic identity, develop an artist statement, portfolio and CV, and formulate an overall long-term strategy for integration into the international art context.
– “How to Find Open Calls, Residencies and Fundraising Opportunities and Attract Sponsors for Art Projects” - an educational course of 6 lectures devoted to finding professional opportunities and attracting resources for the realization of art projects. The programme covers the development of art projects, working with grants, open calls and art residencies, as well as contemporary strategies of fundraising, crowdfunding and sponsor relations.
The programme consists of three modules and is accompanied by a series of practical assignments; upon completion, participants present their projects and receive expert feedback.
– “Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Art” - a cycle of 12 lectures focused on methods of artistic reinterpretation and on articulating a position in relation to identity, memory, migration and historical narratives. The cycle introduces participants to methodologies of artistic research, archival work and post-documentary practices, as well as responsible engagement with tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
– “How to Package and Promote an Artistic Brand” - a programme of 8 lectures introducing participants to the methodology of artistic research, the strategizing of artistic practice and the principles of professional self-presentation. Participants learn to articulate their own artistic identity, develop an artist statement, portfolio and CV, and formulate an overall long-term strategy for integration into the international art context.
– “How to Find Open Calls, Residencies and Fundraising Opportunities and Attract Sponsors for Art Projects” - an educational course of 6 lectures devoted to finding professional opportunities and attracting resources for the realization of art projects. The programme covers the development of art projects, working with grants, open calls and art residencies, as well as contemporary strategies of fundraising, crowdfunding and sponsor relations.
Programmes connecting art with business, patronage and professional income, including commissioned formats for corporate and philanthropic audiences.
- “Women Patrons of the Arts”, March 2025 - celebrated women in the history of collecting and patronage - from Isabella of France and Isabella d'Este to the present day; a lecture at the intersection of art history and women's economic independence.
- Mini-lecture “Profession: Artist”, 2025 - how a career in art really works: the realities of the profession versus common perceptions of it.
The core of the educational identity of SANO is an applied activity-based methodology that enables the artist to think of art as a profession: to set goals, to plan, to strategize an artistic career. The methodological framework, with its original concept of strategizing artistic practice, was developed by Karolina Peskisheva and presented in her scholarly article, published in a peer-reviewed humanities journal in the summer of 2023 (DOI 10.28995/2227-6165-2023-2-6-22). The approach is delivered in formats ranging from a full practicum to short standalone lectures and is adapted to specific professional communities.
- “Art Practicum in Dushanbe”, autumn 2023 - an applied practicum for artists in four sessions: (1) “Strategizing” - an introduction to the practical methodology and conscious career planning; (2) “Working with Archives” - a hands-on exploration of how culture and art are structured, and the archive as artistic material; (3) “The Project” - defining, framing and constructing an art project; (4) “Artistic Research” - why the notion of “research” permeates contemporary art discourse and how artists conduct it in practice.
- “Strategizing Course for Artists”, July 2023 - a two-part lecture course: an introduction to methodology as a discipline in its own right, and the application of the activity-based approach to an artist's professional practice and career.
- “Methodology for Creators”, spring 2024 - a four-module interactive course for a group of creative practitioners, with assignments between modules: a brief introduction to the methodological approach; goal-setting as the engine of professional activity; the source material and the product of one's work; the nature of strategizing; developing a personal algorithm of activity.
- “A Short Lecture on Strategizing”, March 2024 - a concise standalone introduction to strategizing as a methodological tool - an entry point into the full course.
- “Profession: Watercolourist”, March 2025 - the strategizing methodology adapted for a specific professional community: a conscious approach to building an artistic career in watercolour.
2024
2024
An extended guide to the conceptual landscape of contemporary art, presented in PDF format. The project helps artists, students, researchers and the general public navigate the discourses, practices and intellectual traditions of current art. Built around a large-scale conceptual map, the guide combines an overview of the principal theoretical frameworks, descriptions of more than thirty contemporary artistic practices, an examination of new hybrid approaches, and an annotated bibliography for further study. It is conceived as an accessible reference tool connecting academic knowledge with professional orientation in the field of contemporary art.
An additional line of market literacy: orienting artists and audiences in the institutions, actors and dynamics of the contemporary art landscape.
- “Art Market Trends”, 2023 - an overview course on the state and directions of the international art market, helping participants anticipate key trends and strategic shifts for the year ahead.
- “Art Market Trends”, mini-course, 2024 - an updated, condensed version of the overview.
- “Top 100 Most Influential Contemporary Artists”, June 2024 - a two-part critical overview of the international and Russian art scenes, framed as a map of influence and relevance rather than a ranking.
