Kazakhstan’s participation in the venice biennale: contexts and transformations

This article examines the preconditions for the formation of contemporary art in Kazakhstan, as well as its gradual gaining visibility, legitimacy and recognition on the world art scene. As an example, it analyzes the country's participation in one of the most prestigious international exhibitions - the Venice Biennale, which began its history in 1895 and continues to be one of the most important platforms of artistic expression. The study focuses on the formation, development and institutionalization of the Kazakhstani pavilion from the moment when the country was included in the artistic discourse as part of the collective Central Asian Pavilion to the country's independent participation as an independent national representative. Special attention is paid to the institutional, cultural, political contexts that predetermined and influenced the themes, contents and concepts of the projects presented in the Biennale from 2005 to 2024. Participation in the Biennale is seen here as an act of artistic recognition on the international art scene, as well as a kind of attempt at dialogue, in which individual countries reflect critically on current contemporary issues in artistic language, thus becoming part of a cultural diplomacy project