Traditional and contemporary art of Kazakhstan
A Virtual Journey into the World of Kazakhstan’s Artistic Heritage
This Web Gallery presents the diversity of artistic practices in Kazakhstan, reflecting the continuity of cultural traditions and the dynamic development of contemporary creative processes. The virtual exhibition features works based on national images, symbols, and themes, as well as artworks by contemporary artists who reinterpret the country’s cultural heritage through contemporary artistic forms, expressive means, and modern technologies.
The selected works demonstrate the relationship between traditional and contemporary art, revealing the distinctive features of the national worldview, cultural identity, and cultural meanings. The presented materials allow viewers to trace how elements of historical and cultural heritage are reflected in contemporary artistic practice, while maintaining their significance and relevance in an increasingly globalized world.
The Web Gallery is aimed at promoting Kazakhstan’s artistic heritage, expanding public access to works of art, and fostering a lasting interest in national culture and art among a wide audience.
Recommended reading
Art-Discourse’97 // Seminar po teorii i praktike sovremennogo iskusstva: katalog. – Almaty: Fond Soros-Kazahstan, 1998. – 260 s
Aktual'no ob aktual'nom: sbornik statej kazahstanskih iskusstvovedov. – Almaty: AIK, 2000. – 250 s
Ibraeva V. Otcy i deti kazahskogo Contemporary Art // HZH. №43–44. 2002
Ibraeva V. Iskusstvo Kazahstana: postsovetskij period. Almaty: Tonkaya gran, 2014. – 144 s
Iskusstvo Centralnoj Azii: Aktualnyj arhiv: katalog Pervogo pavilona stran Centralnoj Azii na La Biennale di Venezia 51. – Bishkek: Kurama-Art, 2005. – 500 s
Zdes byl Maslov: sbornik proizvedenij S. Maslova / pod red. I. Yuferovoj. – Almaty: Tipografiya Kompleks, 2004. – 212 s
Musrepov A. Nauka vs Mif: indigennoe iskusstvo v epohu Web 3.0 // HZH. Vypusk 128. 2025
Ossian Uord. Iskusstvo smotret. Kak vosprinimat sovremennoe iskusstvo. Perevod Svetlany Kuznecovoj. Moskva: Ad Marginem, 2017
Rash Majkl. Novye media v iskusstve. Moskva: sovmestnaya izdatelskaya programma muzeya sovremennogo iskusstva Garazh i Ad Marginem, 2018
Reznikova E.I. Sovremennoe iskusstvo Kazahstana i klassicheskoe nasledie: dialog ili protivostoyanie. K postanovke voprosa // Saryn art and science journal. № 2 (19) 2018. – S. 11–21
Tunyuj Gao. Kriterii razgranicheniya ponyatij «sovremennoe» i aktualnoe iskusstvo // Culture and Civilization. 2025. Vol. 15, Is. 10A. – C. 96–105
Fomenko Andrej. Zanimatelnyj modernizm // HZH. № 14, 2020
Foster Hel i dr. Iskusstvo s 1990 goda. Modernizm, antimodernizm, postmodernizm. Moskva: Ad Marginem, 2015
PERSONALITIES
E. and V. Vorobyovs:
Vorobyova, E. ‘The Classics’ Farewell to the People’ // Art Discourse’97. 1997. pp. 110–113
Vorobyova, E., Vorobyov, V. The Artist Sleeps. Catalogue. Almaty, 2015. – 258 pp
Yulia Sorokina. ‘Stalkers of Marginality. Strange Places and Strange Media’. 14 November 2021 //
DOI: https://ariadna.media/2021/11/14/marginal-stalkers-odd-media/
R. Khalfin:
Nazipa Ezhenova. The Toughest Acorn in the French Forests // Astralnomads.net. 2010
Art of Central Asia. A Contemporary Archive. Catalogue of Pavilion 1: Central Asia // Astralnomads.net
R. Khalfine. Concept of the ‘Artist’s Skin’ project // Press release for the ‘Gallery Parade’ exhibition. A. Kasteev State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 1997
LOOK Gallery // Online archive of the creative legacy of the artist Rustam Khalfin / look-gallery.com
S. Maslov:
Ibraeva, V. The Art of Kazakhstan: The Post-Soviet Period. Almaty: Tonkaya Gran, 2014. – 144 pp
Elena Vorobyova. About Maslov // https:astralnomads.net/authors/sergey-maslov.html/tab/about
Baikonur-2: Sergey Maslov and his space nomads / https:/test.harpersbazaar.kz/bajkonur-2-sergej-maslov-i-ego-kosmicheskie-kochevniki
Venice Biennale: how is the Kazakhstan Pavilion organised for 2024? /
E. Meldibekov:
Yerbosyn Meldibekov. The exhibition *Eternal Return* at the A. Kasteev Museum of Art // curator Viktor Miziano, assistant curator Dastan Kozhakhmetov. 12 February – 29 March 2015
Andrei Fomenko. Affective Conceptualism. On the artist Erbosyn Meldibekov // The Art of Cinema. No. 4. 2016 / old.kinoart.ru
Fomenko, Andrei N. Heroes and Nobodies, or Television versus Sculpture: The Visual Anthropology of Erbosyn Meldibekov // Philosophy. Sociology. Art History. 2022. No. 3. pp. 125–145
Andrei Fomenko. Non-Idyllic Pastorals // KhZh. No. 102. 2017 / tmagazine.com
A. Menlibayeva:
Aliya de Tizengausen, Diana T. Kudaybergen, Iftikhar Dadi. Almagul Menlibayeva. ‘I Understand Everything’. Catalogue // Exhibition curator: Gridtia Gavivong; scientific editor: Anel Rakhimzhanova. Almaty Museum of Arts. 2026
M. Narymbetov
Nagmet Abat. ‘Freedom of Speech’ newspaper. No. 24 (319). 30 June 2011
Alexander Sinyagin. The Scarab Beetle on Permian Soil. An art object by Moldakula Narymbetov // YouTube›RifeyTV. 21 October 2011
S. Bashirov
Shklyaeva, S.A. Art objects in the work of Kazakhstani jeweller Serzhan Bashirov // Jewellery and Gem-Cutting Art: Traditions, Innovations, Challenges. – Proceedings of the 7th All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference (Yekaterinburg, 19 October 2016). Masters of Jewellery. Carl Fabergé and Alexei Denisov-Uralsky: History, Traditions, Modernity. – Proceedings of the 8th All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference (Yekaterinburg, 7 June 2017). – Yekaterinburg, 2018. – pp. 114–117
Z. Falkova
Vladislav Sludskiy. Zoya Falkova, Evermust // 22 April 2021
DOI: https://ariadna.media/2021/04/22/evermust-zoyafalkova/]
S. Dusesbina:
Andrei Fomenko. Modernisation of Consciousness: A Reboot // Art Journal. No. 107. 2018
A. Musrepov:
Borghese Gallery in Rome //
Olga Bubich. Anvar Musrepov – an observer and archaeologist of the future from Kazakhstan //
Rosalind Krauss. The Photographic: An Experiment in the Theory of Divergences // Moscow: Ad Marginem Press. 2014. – 304 pp