Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Art Business
Abstract
This dissertation explores the development of contemporary Kazakhstani art after 1991, arguing that the independent nation’s international cultural visibility is defined by artists rather than institutions. Operating without state infrastructure, Said Atabekov, the Kyzyl Tractor collective, Almagul Menlibayeva, Saule Suleimenova, and Yerbossyn Meldibekov gained international recognition via biennales, exhibitions, and transnational networks. Their practices challenge state narratives of heroic nationalism and Western expectations. Case studies, interviews, and analysis of Rukhani Zhangyru and new institutions like Tselinny, enable this dissertation to argue that Kazakhstan’s position in global art history is artist driven.
Recommended Citation
Saduakassova, Dinara, "Contemporary Art and Cultural Identity in Post-Soviet Kazakhstan" (2026). MA in Art Business Dissertations. 25.
https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/ma_art_bus/25