ALMATY, September 11, 2026 - On September 12, Almaty Museum of Arts (ALMA) marks its first anniversary. Over the past twelve months, the museum has welcomed more than 460,000 visitors, delivered major exhibition and research projects, expanded its international partnerships, and become a significant part of Almaty’s cultural infrastructure. As it enters its second year, ALMA presents a new exhibition programme, long-term agreements with international institutions, and major new additions to its collection.

In its first year, Almaty Museum of Arts welcomed more than 460,000 visitors, confirming the strong public interest in a contemporary museum in Kazakhstan and placing ALMA among the most visited cultural institutions in the region.

A thoughtfully designed ticketing policy has helped make the museum accessible to a wide range of audiences. Adult visitors accounted for 56.5% of the total number of guests, while children, schoolchildren, students and youth categories made up 36%, and visitors eligible for discounted admission accounted for 7.5%.

‘By creating Almaty Museum of Arts, we sought to build not simply an exhibition venue, but a living organism capable of transforming the urban environment and setting new cultural benchmarks,’ says Nurlan Smagulov, the founder of Almaty Museum of Arts. ‘The first year has shown that there is a tremendous demand in Almaty for a world-class contemporary museum. Nearly half a million visitors, the high proportion of young people among our audiences and the creation of new jobs for cultural professionals all confirm that the museum has become an important part of the city’s life.’

The First Exhibition Year

photo: Roman Sazonov

During its first year, ALMA presented four major exhibition projects.

The museum opened with two inaugural exhibitions. Qonaqtar introduced the Almaty Museum of Arts collection to the public for the first time, tracing the thirty-year history of its formation by the museum’s founders, Nurlan and Madina Smagulov.

At the same time, the museum presented I Understand Everything, a retrospective exhibition by one of Central Asia’s leading artists, Almаgul Menlibayeva, curated by Gridthiya Gaweewong.

In 2026, the programme continued with Bill Viola: The Space of Time, a major solo exhibition by the pioneer of video art, bringing together works from different periods of his practice.

To mark the museum’s first anniversary, ALMA opened Müsinder: Sculpture of Kazakhstan from the 1950s to the Present, curated by art historian Aliya de Tiesenenhausen. The exhibition explores seven decades of Kazakhstani sculpture through the human body.

For its first anniversary, ALMA also presented Christian Marclay’s iconic video installation The Clock (2010). This marks the work’s first presentation in Central Asia and the first project under ALMA’s long-term partnership with Centre Pompidou in Paris. The work will be on view until October 12, 2026, with 24-hour screenings taking place on Saturdays from September 19.

The museum’s research activities are complemented by a publishing programme. During its first year, ALMA published three books, while a fourth publication dedicated to Müsinder is currently in preparation for print.

‘The museum’s curatorial strategy is built on a balance between in-depth research into Central Asian art and engagement with international artistic processes,’ notes Meruyert Kaliyeva, Artistic Director of Almaty Museum of Arts. ‘Projects dedicated to Bill Viola, monumental art in Kazakhstan, and the legacy of Abdrashit Sydykhanov reflect the research depth of our programme. Not only do international partnerships allow us to bring significant works of global art to Almaty, but also to act as full-fledged co-creators of collaborative projects.’

Museum as Part of City Life

photo: Roman Egorov

Over the course of the year, ALMA’s public programme brought together more than 110 events, including lectures, discussions, concerts, film screenings and other interdisciplinary programmes.

A special place in the museum’s educational programme is occupied by Şeberhana, supported by Chevron. During its first year, the space welcomed more than 4,000 children and adults and hosted 75 creative workshops. Through working with materials and hands-on practices, the programme introduces participants to the cultural traditions and craft heritage of the region.

The museum team conducted 1,423 guided tours. Over this time, the guides walked a total of 1,983,054 steps, or approximately 1,390 kilometres - more than the distance from Almaty to Astana by road.

The museum is becoming part of the city’s everyday life beyond the exhibition halls. During its first year, the museum café welcomed around 70,000 guests: visitors drank approximately 7,000 litres of coffee and ate nearly 5,000 waffle cups.

New Jobs and Contribution to the Cultural Economy

The opening of Almaty Museum of Arts has had a significant impact on Almaty’s cultural infrastructure and created new jobs across a range of fields. The museum itself created 130 skilled positions for art historians, curators, museum professionals, art managers and other specialists in the cultural sector, alongside roles in technical, administrative and service areas.

The museum’s exhibitions, publications, and public programmes generate additional demand for the services of Kazakhstani architecture firms, designers, logistics companies, manufacturers, publishers and other representatives of the creative industries.

The museum building and its surrounding grounds have also become a new point of attraction in the city, expanding cultural activity in the area and creating a new public space.

Museum Partners

photo: Roman Egorov

The first year of Almaty Museum of Arts would not have been possible without partners who share the museum’s mission and invest in the long-term development of culture and human capital in Kazakhstan.

Halyk Bank became ALMA’s first general partner. This partnership enables the museum to plan long-term projects with greater confidence. Halyk has already supported two key exhibition initiatives: the solo exhibition of Bill Viola and the presentation of Christian Marclay’s video installation The Clock.

For the museum, this collaboration represents not only practical support, but also an important vote of confidence in the idea that the development of culture, education, and new opportunities to engage with art are important priorities for society.

Atasu Group partnered with the exhibition Müsinder: Sculpture of Kazakhstan from the 1950s to the Present. The company’s support helped make it possible to realise a research-based project bringing together works from the collections of ALMA, the A. Kasteyev National Museum of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other institutional and private collections.

Chevron became the first partner of the Şeberhana educational platform. Through this collaboration, the museum continues to develop free and subsidised educational programmes for children and adults.

ALMA has also begun developing a private patronage programme based on models used by leading international museums. During the first months of its operation, representatives of Kazakhstani businesses and public figures joined the programme. Their participation lays the foundation for a long-term model of private support for culture in Kazakhstan.

Year Two: New International Partnerships

The museum’s international programme will continue to expand in autumn 2026.

In October, in the presence of His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium, ALMA will sign a memorandum of cooperation with KANAL–Centre Pompidou, a major new contemporary art museum in Brussels. The collaboration will begin with a series of performances at ALMA by Belgian artist Ula Sickle and will mark the first stage of a long-term exchange between the two institutions.

In spring 2027, the museum will present an exhibition dedicated to monumental art in Kazakhstan, developed jointly with researcher Dennis Keen and curator Alen Lee. The project will explore mosaics, stained glass, murals, tapestries, sgraffito and bas-reliefs as an important part of the country’s architectural and artistic heritage, while raising questions of their documentation and preservation.

In May 2027, ALMA will open a retrospective exhibition marking the 90th anniversary of Abdrashit Sydykhanov, one of the key figures in Kazakhstani art of the second half of the 20th century. The project will trace the evolution of his distinctive visual language and artistic philosophy. A significant number of works will be presented to the public for the first time.

In autumn 2027, ALMA will present a major exhibition of contemporary art from South Korea, developed jointly with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA). The project will be one of the key international events of the museum’s second year.

New Additions to the Collection

The ALMA collection continues to develop as a world-class collection, while deepening its representation of the art of Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

In 2027, the collection will be expanded with Yayoi Kusama’s eight-metre bronze sculpture Aspiring to Pumpkin’s Love, the Love in My Heart (2023), dedicated to one of the artist’s key motifs — the pumpkin — as well as TV Buddha (2005), an installation by Nam June Paik, one of the pioneers of video art.

The collection of Kazakhstani art has recently been enriched with Almаgul Menlibayeva’s video work Eternal Bride (2002), Alibay Bapanov’s textile work Universe (2019), and Elena and Viktor Vorobyev’s photo installation Fast Making of Spring (2013).

‘We are entering our second year with even more ambitious plans, continuing to place Kazakhstani art in an international context, advance research, and expand the collection with works by leading international and Kazakhstani artists,’ says Nurlan Smagulov.

ALMA's First Anniversary

photo: Alexey Poptsov

On September 12, Almaty Museum of Arts will welcome city residents to celebrate the museum’s first anniversary. The festive programme will include a performance by the band Roksonaki, performances by the Kyzyl Traktor art group, and art activities for all ages by Şeberhana.

On this day, the museum’s general partner, Halyk Bank, will offer free admission to all visitors. In addition, every guest will receive an open-date ticket that can be used until the end of 2026.