ASPAN GALLERY, IN COLLABORATION WITH STEPPE, PRESENTS THE SECOND ANNUAL CONTEMPORARY ART COMPETITION NAMED AFTER BAKHA BUBIKANOVA
In 2025, Aspan Gallery once again announced the B. Bubikanova Art Prize, offering artists from Central Asia the opportunity to showcase their work to a broader audience. An open call was held in February, and we received 130 applications from 24 cities around the world, featuring works in a variety of media.
The independent expert jury, consisting of Yuliya Sorokina, Ulan Djaparov, Solvita Krese and Bjorn Geldhof, carefully reviewed all submissions and selected 10 finalists whose works most clearly reflect the competition’s theme — "Unveiling Boundaries: Power, Identity, and Body." This year’s theme explores the notions of corporeality, identity, and social structures—central themes in Bakhyt Bubikanova’s work. Her art, spanning performance, painting, installation, and video, served as a powerful commentary on gender, femininity, and power dynamics. Through her works, Bubikanova proposed a rethinking of established societal norms, highlighting the complexity and multifaceted nature of the human experience. The finalist projects explore the intersections of body, identity, and power through both personal and collective lenses.
The finalists’ works are presented in an exhibition at Aspan Gallery in April 2025. On May 31, out of shortlisted artworks, one work will be selected by the Selection Committee from the Curatorial Department of the A. Kasteyev State Museum of Arts to become part of the museum’s permanent collection. The winner will receive a 1,000,000 tenge award from Aspan Gallery.
Jury Panel:
Yuliya Sorokina – PhD, independent curator (Аlmaty)
Ulan Djaparov – artist (Bishkek)
Solvita Krese – director of the Latvian Center for Contemporary Art (Riga)
Bjorn Geldof – director of the PinchukArtCentre (Kiev)
The finalists of the second B. Bubikanova Art Prize are:
- Munara Abdukakharova
- Alina Arystanbaeva
- Rakhat Asangulova-Kyzy
- Zamanbap Art
- Roman Zakharov
- Meruyert Kunakova
- Intizor Otaniyozova
- Lesha Pavlov
- Sonata Raiymkulova
- Zoya Falkova
Project Partners:
