The Transformations of Space

Photo by Gaisha Madanova

Almaty was the capital of Kazakhstan before the government moved it to Astana in 1997. It is the largest city in Kazakhstan and is considered to be the cultural and financial center of the country. The Transformations of Space in Almaty was a project undertaken by the Artpologist Collective in the summer 2007. Initially imagined as an investigation of Almaty's urban history through artists' studios, this project ultimately became a documentation of the construction boom that took place before the worldwide financial crisis started that year.

A primary goal of Soviet social condenser architecture was to create equal living spaces for Soviet citizens in hopes of dismantling existing social hierarchies.

Soviet Condenser on Lenina St. #2, Almaty
Painting by Daniel Gallegos

This project depicts how people live in the city engulfed by the massive building boom. They have to traverse the ever-changing urban landscape, and many have to alter their daily routine because of the construction. A five-minute walk to purchase bread and milk at the market has now turned into a half an hour journey because of the detours that block pedestrian access. Public space is being fractured and privatized. The Soviet city planning formulas that went into creating public space as an essential citizens' right have been lost. Instead, the space is more valued for the creation of luxurious apartments and private businesses. Recent construction disregards public accessibility by placing fences, gates, and security around buildings which serves to segregate socioeconomic classes.

An advertisement for a new apartment complex in Almaty. The gated entrance, guards, and high-end cars suggest exclusivity.

A pedestrian walkway crosses newly excavated ground.

Metal Blanc, Encore
Video by Aminatou Echard

The project investigates individual studio spaces belonging to different generations of Almaty visual artists. We explore the interior, private spaces of these artists as a means of understanding a city being destroyed and re-built by multinational construction companies. We concentrate on small, private spaces in the context of large-scale transformations in order to humanize the faceless reshaping of contemporary urban space. Through individual stories, we show the shifts in daily life that accompany such drastic change. The project brings into consideration the uniqueness of private and cultural locations in the city. We examine how and why these spaces are quickly being reconfigured by a recent infatuation with new material wealth.

Galym Madanov’s neighborhood, studio apartment, and artwork. Galym's neighborhood reflects the transforming city: "[before], this whole neighborhood was undeveloped. It was empty everywhere, there were only wild dogs.”

Kuanysh Bazargaliyev and Saule Suleimenova's studio and living space.

Abdrashit Sydykhanov’s studio apartment.

Georgy Tryakin-Bukharov’s studio in Almaty. Georgy claimed his studio in the 1970s by squatting at an abandoned, half-built structure that was originally intended as a public restroom.

Autour de Nif Nif & Nuf Nuff: Georgy Tryakin-Bukharov’s
Video by Aminatou Echard

Sensuality of Space (Georgy 1)
Painting by Daniel Gallegos
Oil on canvas

Installation with Georgy Tryakin-Bukharov and the Artpologist Collective
Transformations of Space, Soros Center for Contemporary Art
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Ciel et Sons- ou Dragon
Video by Aminatou Echard

The Transformations of Space in Almaty, Kazakhstan was a project undertaken in the summer 2007. Initially imagined as an investigation of Almaty's urban history through artists' studios, this project ultimately became a documentation of the construction that took place before the worldwide financial crisis of the early 21st century. Almaty was the capital of Kazakhstan before the government moved it to Astana in 1997. It is the largest city in Kazakhstan and is considered to be the cultural and financial center of the country.