On 16 May 2026 at 2.00 pm, the art exhibition «ART OF ASIA» will open at the National Central Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan to mark International Museum Day (18 May).
The theme of International Museum Day 2026, announced by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), is «MUSEUMS UNITING A DIVIDED WORLD». It emphasizes the special mission of museums as spaces for cultural dialogue and creative interaction, fostering the rapprochement of cultures and the connection between generations.
The exhibition «ART OF ASIA» reflects this idea through artworks representing the cultural heritage of Asian countries, their traditions, aesthetic diversity, and the material and spiritual dimensions of their culture. The project aims to strengthen intercultural dialogue and to reflect on the role of art as a unifying force in the modern world.
«ART OF ASIA» is an art project that explores the power of painting, graphic art, decorative and applied arts, and sculpture to suspend time. These forms transform everyday scenes, diverse thematic subjects, and images. They turn perceptions of the world, vivid emotions, and feelings into eternity. Through these works, the artists show that true beauty and human values exist in daily life. They invite viewers to slow down and enjoy each unique moment.
A person experiences a wide range of feelings and moments of joy in the simplest, most sincere things. These include memories of childhood and the far-reaching gaze of a golden eagle hunter. There is joy in quenching thirst and in the sense of freedom from kokpar racing across the snow. Other moments include a blooming apple tree in a city garden, the scarlet tulips and poppies of the endless steppe, and the depth of Lake Kolsai. The whisper of wind carrying the legend of Korkyt, the blossoming lotus flowers on the Pervomayskie ponds, and the unexpected happiness from joyful news also bring delight.
«Stay, moment, you are beautiful», note the exhibition participants themselves.
The aim of the exhibition is to show that even the smallest moment is a meaningful part of life as a whole.
The exhibition will feature over 100 works by contemporary Kazakhstani visual artists from Almaty, Astana, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar, Shymkent, Konaev, Ekibastuz and Taraz, including: Abty Anet, Elena Panina, Irina Urazbekova, Yulia Chubutkina, Elvira Danibekova, Tatiana Shestakova, Anna Munasap, Zarina Nurgalina, Olga Dzhanabaeva, Diana Shaykheslamova, Alima Amangeldy, Alfiya Safi, Zhanat Tabildieva, Diana Kaplun, Guzal Iskhakova, Alpamys Kenbaev, Anastasia Mikhailova, Albina Baimagambetova, Galina Pashchenko, Milana Kenbaeva, Aiman Bekzhanova, Zhanel Slanova, Dinara Zakaradze, Arina Zyryanova, Alina Tatarova, Aliaskar Musaev, Ekaterina Prokhorova, Laura Satpaeva, Olga Chukreeva, Yuri Burmistrov, Aikerim Tabetova, Dina Gaitova, Asemkhan Aigerim, Svetlana Savchuk, Yulia Efman, Elena Karkavina. Damir Kuralbaev, Gulnara Tleulina, Alexander Matveenko, Asem Myrzakhmet, Aruzhan Malikova, Anel Abenova, Malika Murat, Togzhan Abdykul, Kamilla Tleulina, Zarina Chukitaeva, Tolqyn Kairanbay, Kanat Saduakasov, Asel Anvar, Alua Akhmad, Enlik Akhmoldayeva, and Feruza Suturina.
The artists’ works resonate like the quiet voices of time – each in its own way, yet all bound by an invisible thread of inner experience. Through color and texture, through boldness and technical finesse, they have managed to capture the elusive – the breath of the world, the warmth of the moment, the pulse of life. These images are imbued with emotions, memories, and echoes of personal stories. Different genres reveal the multifaceted nature of existence, transforming moments into marks that remain in the cultural memory of the people.
The exhibition will run until June 1, 2026.
