The new Almaty Museum of Arts in Kazakhstan is set to open its doors in the summer of 2025. It will be the country’s first private museum as well as the first museum in the region to house a collection of local, regional and international modern and contemporary art.
The Almaty Museum of Arts was founded by Nurlan Smagulov, a businessman, philanthropist and collector, in a bid to centralise his vast collection, which comprises over 700 works. The museum’s design has been entrusted to British architects Chapman Taylor, who have conceived a building that will extend over 9,400 square meters.
In the art collection curated by Smagulov, a large number of Kazakh and Central Asian artists are represented, among them Kazakh modern artists Aisha Galimbayeva, Salikhitdin Aytbayev, Makum Kisamedinov and Shaimardan Sariyev, as well as pioneering contemporary artists such as Rustam Khalfin, Sergey Maslov, Yerbossyn Meldibekov, Saule Suleimenova and Said Atabekov. The wider Central Asian art scene is represented by artists including Saodat Ismailova from Uzbekistan and Jazgul Madazimova from Kyrgyzstan. A non-negligible number of international artists, whose groundbreaking practices will also be displayed at the museum. These include works by renowned artists such as Fernand Leger, Richard Serra, Bill Viola, Alicja Kwade and Yinka Shonibare CBE, whose specially commissioned outdoor sculptures will be unveiled at the museum, and Khadim Ali, Xu Zhen, Jadé Fadojutimi and others.
Smagulov, who has gifted the Almaty Museum of Art and its collection to his hometown of Almaty, aims to promote and showcase art from the region, furthering the development of the cultural sector in Kazakhstan, while also providing a space for locals to explore the art scene, and where visitors from around the world can discover Central Asian Art. Key initiatives such as research, dynamic exhibitions, commissions, publications, and educational programs will be an intrinsic part of the museum programming, led by artistic director Meruyert Kaliyeva and chief curator Inga Lāce.
Founder Nurlan Smagulov elaborated on the museum’s goals: “Art has the power to transform lives, and it once transformed mine. For me, Almaty Museum of Arts is not just a museum; it serves as a bridge that connects Central Asia’s vibrant and diverse art with the global cultural scene. Our mission is to create an inspiring space where both the people of Kazakhstan and international visitors can experience contemporary art that resonates with universal human experiences, while also showcasing the distinctive cultural voices of our region.”
