If you've ever wondered about the abundance of classical music geniuses in the 19th century compared to the apparent decline nowadays, or if you're curious about the intricacies of costume creation, do we have the weekend for you in both Astana and Almaty. The capital crowd will be treated to the lecture on innovation in music, while Almaty residents will have a diverse array of 101 lectures covering everything from Kazakh genealogical trees to Soviet new media experiments. And, residents of Atyrau and Shymkent can look forward to music evenings of wildly different natures.
These and more events in the list by QazMonitor below.
Astana
"Should a Good Composer Be an Innovator?" lecture by music scholar Anna Vilenskaya
The common notion is that a composer is someone who creates new music, though, upon closer examination, that adjective 'new' could take on a different meaning. Music scholar Anna Vilenskaya will guide her audience through how innovations were perceived differently throughout the history of music. In the 16th century, an innovative composer would be considered an outcast, whereas, in the 20th century, there would be nothing to write home about. So, what does it exactly mean to innovate in music?
NOTE: The lecture will be conducted in Russian.
Date: January 26, 7:00 p.m.
Address: Moscow Business Center, Dostyq Street 18
Entrance: ₸14,000–₸17,000 (as of January 25, 2024, $31.28–$37.98)
Happiness (Бақыт, dir. Askar Uzabayev) charity screening
A woman stands in front of the mirror, her body bearing the marks of many years of abuse. She dons her orange dress and transforms into a hypnotic saleswoman for 'Happiness,' a beauty product claiming to make women attractive and happy. At work, she is a successful influencer, but at home, that downward spiral goes and goes until it hits—a sudden end.
NOTE: All proceeds from the screening will go to the Korgau crisis shelter in Astana, which provides aid to victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. Contact Fem Tendik Instagram page for address and further details.
Date: January 27, 6:00 p.m.
Entrance: ₸1,000 ($2.23)
Fairytales Through the Stones (Сказки сквозь камни) play
Teenage temper tantrums conceal more than just attitude and unwillingness to listen. It’s silence that speaks of torments within, for nobody to listen. But if there were an audience that would lend an ear, they would hear ‘fairytales’ that tell of life, the journey to find one’s place in the world, and the immovable 'rocks' encountered along the way.
NOTE: The play will be staged in Russian.
Date: January 27, 6:00 p.m.
Address: Concept studio, Kasiyetti art space, Orynbor Street 12, Block 3
Entrance: ₸3,000 ($6.70)
Almaty
"Shezhire and the Kazakh Society" open opinion laboratory with anthropologist Zarina Mukanova
The ken of the genealogical tree, or shezhire as it is called in Kazakh, once held an important place in traditional society. The paradigm shifts of the past century still affect the perception of kinship among our people to this day. Backed by field research conducted in a small rural area north of Almaty, anthropologist Zarina Mukanova will also focus on the intertwining relationship between the notions of patriarchy and shezhire, as by design, these trees excluded women from their records.
Date: January 27, 4:00 p.m.
Address: Oner Corner art space, Shevchenko Street 51
Entrance: Free
Two-day workshop with costume designer Goar Igitian
There are a lot of things that go into costume design, from the stages of costume creation itself to styling for different media and genres. Costume designer Goar Igitian will brief her audience on the history of costumes in movies, and share her experiences working with various filming crews, including Zhenia Kazankina’s Rio, drawing cold inspiration from neo-noir, to Yana Skopina’s dreamlike reality of Summer Ends Soon.
NOTE: The workshops will be conducted in Russian. Registration for the event is available through QYZQARAS’s Instagram page.
Date: January 27-28, 4:00 p.m.
Address: bULt rave space, Gagarin Avenue 83
Entrance: ₸10,000 ($22.34)
"The Day of Forty-Two Pictures" exhibition by graphic artist Anton Mariinsky
In the era of digital media, where everything is a designed imagery—from the preview image to this article to the UI elements of this web page—what language does this imagery speak? Graphic artist Anton Mariinsky presents forty-two works, aiming to study communication in modern print media and what it represents. Illustrations or identity artifacts?
Dates:
January 26, 8:00 p.m. – exhibition opening
February 5 – closing day
Address: 101 Dump Gallery, Panvilov Street 101
Entrance: Free
Lecture and exhibition on audiovisual art from Prometheus design bureau in Kazan
Established in 1962 in Soviet Tatarstan, the Prometheus student design bureau had a singular focus on developing what was then termed an audiovisual synthesis – a light concert that would integrate abstract films, video art, light design, installations, and sound art. Their research marked a distinctive chapter in the history of new media.
Dates:
January 27, 3:00 p.m. – “Human. Art. Technology. Experiments With Light and Sound From Kazan” lecture by history scholar Anastasia Maksimova
February 25 – closing day of the “Prometheus: Media Art Through a Local Prism” exhibition
Address: Egin Art Space, Nurmakov Street 79
Entrance: Free
Atyrau
Kezen rock concert
This Saturday, an all-Atyrau band Kezen is set to bring that punk rock spirit to their native stage. So, buckle up, store your headbangs, and prepare to experience the essence of Western Kazakh rock.
NOTE: Registration for the event is available through YEMAA’s Instagram page.
Date: January 27, 6:00 p.m.
Address: YEMAA Center of Contemporary Culture, Qurmanghazy Street 12
Entrance: ₸3,500 ($7.82)
Shymkent
"Magical Zhetigen" concert by Tursynai Alibekkyzy
Adding a Kazakh touch to the vast zither family, the zhetigen's sounds are like a gentle wave washing over the listeners. Tursynai Alibekkyzy, a renowned zhetigen performer, will bring back those magical tunes from the past with but a touch of electrifying guitar riffs.
Date: January 28, 7:30 p.m.
Address: Turkistan Palace of Culture, Nazarbayev Avenue 10/2
Entrance: ₸4,000–₸5,000 ($8.94–$11.17)
