Contemporary Art in Central Asia: A Spatial Perspective

During this seminar, Dilda Ramazan, PhD student in Slavic Studies at Sorbonne Université (Eur’Orbem, CNRS/IFÉAC), presented her research on the role of underground spaces in the development of contemporary art in Bishkek.

Situating her analysis within the broader history of the emergence of contemporary art in Central Asia during the late Soviet period, the speaker highlighted the specificity of the Kyrgyz context, where spaces located below ground level such as basements, underground halls, and passages have been continuously reappropriated by artists as sites for artistic production and exhibition. Far from being merely alternative or temporary solutions, these underground spaces have become key cultural locations, carrying strong spatial, historical, and political meanings.

The presentation focused on two main case studies illustrating the continuity of this phenomenon over more than two decades. The first examined the role of Kurama Art and the Bishkek International Exhibitions of Contemporary Art in the early 2000s, particularly their use of underground spaces at the Gapar Aitiev National Museum of Arts and beneath Ala-Too Square. The second case study analyzed Ittey Bishkek, a solo exhibition by artist Rakhat Asangulova-Kyzy, held in 2025 in the underground space of the Frunze House Museum, highlighting contemporary artistic strategies of spatial and political reappropriation.

The discussion demonstrated how the notion of “underground” in Bishkek operates both literally, as a physical space below ground, and symbolically, as a site of marginality, critique, and artistic freedom. The seminar also addressed current challenges facing contemporary art in Kyrgyzstan, including censorship, limited institutional support, and the scarcity of dedicated exhibition venues, while offering a regional perspective through comparisons with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The seminar is available on our YouTube channel:

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