Yesterday I was invited to a reception dedicated to the opening of the first Museum of Contemporary Art in Central Asia, right here in Almaty. I was delighted to see many friends and colleagues!
The region has gained another cultural attraction. This is a significant event, as unfortunately, very few new museums have opened in the southern capital over the past 30 years.
In 2016, we attempted to change this situation by opening a Theater Museum in the country’s oldest theater – the Abai Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theater. Its collection includes unique exhibits ranging from theatrical costumes and photo documents to vintage theater posters from the 1930s.
As for the new Museum of Contemporary Art, I hope it will create the same “Bilbao effect” for Almaty and the whole country.
The Basque city of Bilbao in northern Spain is a prime example of transforming a small industrial city into a global cultural capital by establishing a cultural cluster around a new museum.
Since 1997, tens of thousands of people have visited Bilbao every year to see the Guggenheim Museum, opened as a branch of the world-famous institution in New York. Thanks to this, the city’s tourist flow has increased twentyfold. Cultural investments often have a much longer and deeper impact than many expect.
Most importantly, local children and young people regularly visit the museum, becoming the very human capital we all speak about.
For it is not only existence that shapes consciousness, but also culture that defines lifestyle. Talking about competitiveness is meaningless if society is in a state of cultural crisis.
I wish the new Museum of Contemporary Art in Almaty to bring about a similar Bilbao effect, becoming a cultural brand of the city and the country, and a magnet for creative, intellectual, and innovative people from Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and the world.
📍 The museum is located on Al-Farabi Avenue, next to the Almaty Theater.
Admission fees:
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Children under 6 years – free
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Visitors with special needs and accompanying persons – free
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War veterans – free
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Schoolchildren, students, pensioners, large families – 500 KZT
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General admission – 2000 KZT
Dosym Satpayev
