Almagul Menlibayeva's Daughters of Turan exhibition explores Kazakh identity through video and photography

Almagul Menlibayeva is showcasing her third exhibition, titled Daughters of Turan, at Priska C. Juschka Fine Art in New York, which features her latest video and photographic pieces centered on Kazakh cultural identity. Born in 1969 and raised in Almaty, her art reflects both her Soviet past and the transformations in Kazakhstan following independence. The exhibition explores crises of national identity, with works filmed in southern Kazakhstan, such as Milk for Lambs (2010) and Aisha Bibi's Butterflies (2010). In collaboration with composer OMFO, she integrates traditional and contemporary elements, steering clear of exotic clichés. Menlibayeva acknowledges Nezaket Ekici's influence and connects the erosion of tradition to post-Soviet independence and Western media, while living a nomadic life between Almaty and Berlin for cultural insights.