Inside Central Asia’s Big Art Boom

Central Asia has a deep artistic heritage, from Silk Road craft traditions to a vibrant early 20th century avant-garde. But Soviet rule left a legacy that included the repression of artistic expression, and for decades after independence, the region was often defined by that past. That’s changing now, in a big way, and the international art world has started paying more attention to the five countries colloquially known as “the Stans.”

The region is seeing a ton of growth. Young populations, diversifying trade, and rapid digital adoption are turning its cities into serious markets and destinations. Cities like Tashkent and Almaty are modernizing, while heritage sites like Bukhara and Samarkand are taking on bigger economic and tourism roles. Last year, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said the region is expected to grow faster than China.

Amid this economic momentum, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in particular seem keen on building soft power, pouring major money into culture both at home, in new museums and biennials, and abroad, in pavilions at Venice and collaborations with international institutions.

So today, we’re looking at the region through the lens of institution building and cultural infrastructure, with governments leading in some places and private collectors in others. And we’re coming at it as newcomers, the way many visitors will: curious, and keen to know where to start.

News Editor, Margaret Carrigan just made her first trip to the region this fall, and she is joined by Annikka Olsen, Artnet’s Galleries Editor, who made a few journeys there in the last year.

Artwork: Batima Zaurbekova, Waiting (1980). Courtesy of Abylkhan Kasteyev National Museum of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty.