"Smagulov art collection unveiled and overseen by curator Inga Lāce at the launch of Almaty Museum of Arts"
Almaty Museum of Arts Embraces Diverse Narratives with "Qonaqtar" Exhibition
The Almaty Museum of Arts, Central Asia's first private art museum, is set to present a collection that bridges global and regional art narratives. The museum's inaugural group exhibition, titled "Qonaqtar," will showcase a mix of modern and contemporary, canonical and counter-canonical works, curated by the museum's new head curator, Inga Lāce.
"Qonaqtar," which means "guests" in Kazakh, reflects Lāce's curatorial goal focused on themes of hospitality and migration, as well as the founder's desire to celebrate the museum's opening. The collection includes works by artists such as Almagul Menlibayeva, Askar Yesdauletov, Eduard Kazaryan, and the first officially recognized Kazakh female artist, Aisha Galymbayeva.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is a lithograph from Maktym Kisamedinov's series, "Juta (Famine)" (1973), which directly references the Asharshylyk, the famine that killed over 40% of the ethnic Kazakh population in the Thirties. Kisamedinov's series of works on the local poet and warrior Makhambet, created in the Seventies, can be considered emancipatory and decolonial.
Buryat Serenjab Baldano's masks offer a unique and spiritual worldview in the collection, while Alibay Bapanov's work insists on the importance of craft practices in local art histories. The collection also includes works from the "Sixtiers" generation, considered the golden age of Kazakh art.
Lāce, who has previously held roles at the de Appel art center in Amsterdam and the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art (LCCA) in Riga, will present part of the collection of the museum's founder, Nurlan Smagulov. While specifics on Smagulov’s works in their collection are not detailed, the museum’s approach suggests a platform that reflects and questions canonical narratives through diverse contemporary works.
The museum's architectural design by a British firm and inclusion of international art signals an ambition to be a cultural hub that not only preserves but also reinterprets Central Asian artistic identity in a cosmopolitan context.
Lāce will co-curate the 61st Biennale di Venezia's Latvian Pavilion with Adomas Narkevičius, and she previously held a similar role in the Latvian Pavilion at the Biennale di Venezia in 2019. She also curated the seventh, eighth, and ninth editions of the contemporary art festival SURVIVAL KIT.
The Almaty Museum of Arts aims to situate Central Asian art within both local cultural contexts and broader global dialogues, challenging simplified or monolithic views of Central Asian art by placing it in conversation with global modern and contemporary art trends. This curated juxtaposition inherently challenges these views, promoting a multifaceted understanding of the region's art heritage.
With its emphasis on diverse narratives, Inga Lāce's curation for the "Qonaqtar" exhibition at Almaty Museum of Arts extends beyond Central Asian art, incorporating works from global art movements. This global reach in the museum's collection forms part of a home-and-garden lifestyle, blending regional and international art cultures.
Moreover, Lāce's curatorial approach aims to foster a work environment that invites contemporary art to question and reinterpret Central Asian artistic identity, providing a unique perspective in the global art landscape, aligning with the museum's goal of being a cosmopolitan cultural hub.
