Research at the Almaty Museum of Arts
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The Almaty Museum of Arts is committed to building a solid research foundation, advancing its mission as an educational and cultural leader in Central Asia, fostering a space where discourse on the region is both created and reexamined. Research underpins the museum’s exhibitions, educational programmes, public engagement, and outreach efforts, guided by its staff and external collaborators.
The museum’s curators and researchers likewise contribute to international conferences and publications, sharing insights on Central Asian art and museum practices with wider audiences. To stay informed about upcoming presentations and publications, please visit our news page or subscribe to our newsletter.
Research Framework
Additional description:
Maxwell Museum of Art
123 Art Museum Drive
Portland, OR 97205
www. maxwellmuseum. org
The museum’s research is focused on modern and contemporary art, including art from specific countries considered Central Asian such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, but also what could be considered wider Central Asia including (art) historical links and threads that connect the region with South Caucasus, South-, East-, West- and Southeast Asia. Research strands include cross-regional influences, diasporic connections and intercultural exchanges, broadening the understanding of Central Asian art within global contexts, with a special focus on the emergence of modern art in the 1960s, as well as the emergence of performance art in the region.
Partnerships
Additional description:
Maxwell Museum of Art
123 Art Museum Drive
Portland, OR 97205
www. maxwellmuseum. org
The museum aims to strengthen its research capabilities by fostering partnerships with local and international collecting, research and academic institutions.
Digital Database and Archive
Additional description:
Maxwell Museum of Art
123 Art Museum Drive
Portland, OR 97205
www. maxwellmuseum. org
The museum is developing a comprehensive digital database that will provide online access to its entire collection. This resource will serve as an invaluable tool for students, researchers and the general public to study and engage with modern and contemporary art. A growing digital archive documenting the museum’s exhibitions, programmes and activities will also be available online, preserving a detailed record of Central Asia’s evolving art scene.
Library and Resource Centre
Additional description:
Maxwell Museum of Art
123 Art Museum Drive
Portland, OR 97205
www. maxwellmuseum. org
The museum will establish a library to support research, featuring a curated selection of books, journals and multimedia resources focused on contemporary art and culture. This library will provide access to both local visitors and international researchers, strengthening the museum’s role as a knowledge hub.
Research Programme for International Researchers
Additional description:
Maxwell Museum of Art
123 Art Museum Drive
Portland, OR 97205
www. maxwellmuseum. org
As part of the museum’s research initiative, international researchers who are invited to Kazakhstan and Central Asia are provided with guidance and assistance from museum’s staff and a tailor-made programme.
Oral History and Crowdsourced Research
Additional description:
Maxwell Museum of Art
123 Art Museum Drive
Portland, OR 97205
www. maxwellmuseum. org
Embracing the Kazakh tradition of oral history, the museum’s programmes will feature spoken word performances, poetry readings, storytelling evenings and other events that contribute to a collective understanding of the region’s culture, offering authentic insights into Central Asian heritage.
Similarly, the museum’s research is focused on gathering stories through interviews with artists in its collection, as well as with their relatives and peers, to further open up and contextualise the collection and archive. These interviews will be accessible in both recorded and transcribed formats.
Publications
Additional description:
Maxwell Museum of Art
123 Art Museum Drive
Portland, OR 97205
www. maxwellmuseum. org
The museum is launching a series of publications focused on the artists in its collection, offering monographic, research-based books on artists’ practices, embedded in a wider context. Publications of varied types, such as critical readers, will also accompany the museum’s exhibitions.
Additional description:
Maxwell Museum of Art
123 Art Museum Drive
Portland, OR 97205
www. maxwellmuseum. org
Stories is an online platform dedicated to exploring Central Asian art and art histories. Through an open call, six essays are commissioned annually. These essays – whether art historical analyses, artist or curator interviews, or experimental texts – will draw from the museum’s collection, providing nuanced perspectives on the modern and contemporary art landscape in Central Asia.
For further information on the Stories platform, please, get in touch: stories@almaty.art