The year 2025 marked not only a busy period for contemporary art in Kazakhstan but also a decisive acceleration. Art moved beyond professional circles, claimed urban spaces, entered international agendas, and ceased to be a conversation “for insiders only.” The Kazakhstani art scene spoke with growing confidence both at home and abroad. New institutions, landmark exhibitions, festivals, and global collaborations signaled a pivotal shift: contemporary art has become a visible and integral component of the country’s cultural fabric.
New Museums and Art Spaces in Kazakhstan
Geographically, Almaty emerged as the epicenter of contemporary art activity in 2025. The city saw the opening of key institutions that became new focal points for artists, curators, and audiences.
Opening of the Almaty Museum of Arts (ALMA)
On September 12, 2025, the Almaty Museum of Arts (ALMA) opened its doors in Almaty, becoming one of the largest contemporary art museums in Central Asia. From the outset, ALMA signaled serious institutional ambitions, with a mission to support and study contemporary art processes and situate them within a global cultural context.
The museum’s collection includes around 700 works, more than 70% of which are by notable Kazakhstani artists of the 20th century, such as Zhanatai Shardenov, Tokbolat Togyzbayev, Makym Kisameddinov, and Shaimardan Sariyev. Contemporary artists like Rustem Khalfin, Saule Suleimenova, and Said Atabekov are also prominently featured.
Designed by the British architectural bureau Chapman Taylor, the 10,000-square-meter museum includes expansive exhibition halls (“The Great Steppe,” “Saryarka”), an Art Street atrium, storage and restoration facilities, and a creative workshop, setting a new standard for museum infrastructure in the region.
Installation view of “I Understand Everything” – Almagul Menlibayeva (12 September 2025 – May 2026), Almaty Museum of Arts; image: Alexey Naroditsky
Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture: Reclaiming a Building and Its Meaning
Just days earlier, on September 5, 2025, the Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture was inaugurated in Almaty. Housed in a restored 1964 Soviet-era cinema, the building underwent nearly seven years of renovation led by British architect Asif Khan. Notably, the facade’s unique sgraffito by artist Evgeny Sidorkin was preserved.
The transformed space now features an exhibition hall, library, cafe, and workshop areas. Its opening was marked by the performance BARSAKELMES, with initial public access free of charge. Tselinny now operates three days a week and serves as a vital platform for exhibitions, education, and creative dialogue.
The Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture; image: SAPARLAS/Zhanarbek Amankulov
A. Kasteev State Museum of Arts: A New Status and Contemporary Focus
Kazakhstan’s primary national art institution also redefined its role in 2025. Celebrating its 90th anniversary, the A. Kasteev State Museum of Arts was granted National Museum status. In conjunction with this milestone, a new gallery dedicated to contemporary Kazakhstani art from the independence period was unveiled.
The exhibition Memory. Space. Progress brought together works from leading artists, charting the development of artistic practice from the 1990s to the present. Contributors included members of the Shymkent-based Red Tractor group, Almaty conceptualists, and key avant-garde figures such as Sergey Maslov, Rashid Nurekeyev, Almagul Menlibayeva, Shamil Guliyev, Bakhyt Bapyshev, and Said Atabekov. The exhibition featured installations, video art, and futuristic projects, affirming the place of contemporary art in the nation’s cultural heritage.
Major Exhibitions and Art Events Across the Country
Alongside institutional growth, 2025 saw a dynamic program of exhibitions and festivals. Astana, the capital, increasingly positioned itself as a hub for large-scale art events.
BARSAKELMES Performance @Tselinny Center
BARSAKELMES Performance @Tselinny Center
Astana Art FAIR (June, Astana)
Held in the summer, Astana Art FAIR 2025 was one of the largest contemporary art festivals in Central Asia. Centered on the theme Human and Technology, the fair featured artists from more than 15 countries. Astana’s urban spaces hosted expansive outdoor installations and public artworks, while the program included lectures, performances, and multimedia shows, exploring the cultural implications of the digital age and engaging diverse audiences.
TIREK: The Thread of Her Life (December, Almaty)
In December, the socially significant data-art exhibition TIREK was held at Almaty Gallery in collaboration with UN Women. The project addressed women’s health through visual and artistic practices.
Meanwhile, the National Museum of Kazakhstan in Astana hosted a traveling exhibition from the Louvre, featuring antiquities, strengthening cultural ties with leading international institutions. Traditional cultural events such as the Spirit of Tengri ethno-festival and the 10th anniversary of the Almaty Film Festival continued across the country, with contemporary visual art standing alongside music and cinema as a central cultural form.
Urban Mosaic @Tselinny Center
Kazakhstani Artists on the Global Stage
If 2025 saw institutional growth domestically, it also marked a confident international presence. Kazakhstani artists were featured in biennials, fairs, and museum projects worldwide, securing a stronger position on the global art map.
Bukhara Biennial 2025
Held from September 5 to November 20 in historic Bukhara, the first Bukhara Biennial featured over 70 art projects. Kazakhstani artists were prominently represented, including Saule Suleimenova, Gulnur Mukazhanova, and Aisultan Seit. Themed Recipe for Broken Hearts, the biennial brought together regional voices, with Kazakhstani contributions emphasizing women’s creative experience and cultural dialogue in the post-Soviet space.
International Art Fairs
Aspan Gallery, based in Almaty, participated for the sixth time in Art Dubai (April 16-20), presenting Gulnur Mukazhanova’s solo project Shadows of Hope. In November, the gallery made its debut at Abu Dhabi Art with works by Erbosyn Meldibekov, whose practice explores post-Soviet architecture, monumentality, and memory.
Recognition and Awards
In July, Belgium’s M HKA Museum of Contemporary Art acquired Said Atabekov’s photographic series Prayer of a Thousand Horsemen, marking an increased European interest in Central Asian art.
At the VIDEOFORMES 2025 media art festival in France, video artist Lyazzat Khanim received a special award from the Puy-de-Dôme Department Council for her project, fresh film, selected from 720 submissions from 63 countries, highlighting a new generation of digital artists from Kazakhstan.
@Tselinny Center
Residencies, Grants, and Cultural Exchange
Summer 2025 saw the launch of the Art Future international residency at Esentai Gallery in Almaty, in partnership with the Embassy of Spain. Spanish photographer Juan Saliket was the central resident, conducting urban research, collaborating with local artists, and culminating in a final exhibition.
Domestically, cultural support continued. At the start of the year, 75 leading cultural figures received state scholarships, supporting a broad range of artistic disciplines, including contemporary visual arts.
Trends and Significance of 2025
Collectively, the events of 2025 signal a new phase in Kazakhstan’s cultural development. With new museums, festivals, major exhibitions, and a growing international footprint, Kazakhstan is increasingly asserting itself as a regional center for contemporary artistic innovation, where a strong connection to cultural heritage is balanced by a forward-looking vision.
