Alexey Morosov has been selected to represent Kyrgyzstan at the 61st Venice Biennale. Curated by Geraldine Leardi, the pavilion, entitled BELEK, will feature a large-scale immersive installation. The work will transform the exhibition space into a layered environment exploring water, landscape memory and the cultural energy of a nomadic civilisation.
Taking the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, its glaciers, rivers and monumental hydro-engineering structure as a point of departure, BELEK, which means “gift” in Kyrgyz, emerges as both a conceptual and spatial framework. Here, water is understood as a primordial gift, a life-sustaining force that has shaped the region’s geography and the rhythm of its nomadic cultures for centuries. Beyond its physical presence, water symbolises continuity and renewal, linking natural forces with human history. At the same time, the concept of BELEK extends to encompass the intangible heritage of Kyrgyzstan.
Central to Morosov’s installation is the ancient equestrian game Kok-Boru, which serves as a vital cultural motif throughout the work. The exhibition will feature video, sculpture, painting and sound into a cohesive sensory experience, inviting visitors to move through this layered space, engaging with its resonances on both the intellectual and emotional levels.
Born in Bishkek, where he spent his early years, Morosov’s experience of living between different cultures and landscapes has deeply shaped his exploration of identity, space and memory. Now based in Italy, the artistworks across scultpure, arhcitecture, media art and paintings, with a practice rooted in site-specific projects that engage with the historical and cultural memory of place. He has also been a member of the Russian Academy of Arts Presidium since 2014 and his works can be found in the collection of the State Russian Museum in St Petersburg, Museum of New Academy of Fine Arts St Petersburg, as well as in important collections.
The 61st Venice Biennale will run from 9 May to 22 November 2026
