Contemporary Art in Central Asia: Sven Spieker in Conversation with Dastan Kozhakhmetov
Sven Spieker: A key theme in Western discussions of contemporary art in Kazakhstan and Central Asia in general is the Soviet legacy. Some of the most recognizable Central Asian artists today were born under Soviet rule. What’s your view of the complex legacies of the Soviet experience–including its presumed colonial aspects–and on the way these surface, or do not surface, in contemporary art from the region?
Dastan Kozhakhmetov: It’s impossible not to notice the colonial tools, strategies, tactics, and the overall colonial attitude of Soviet power in Central Asia. As a result, the Soviet past became part of … Read more
