Kazakhstan Pavilion 2026: Qonyr, The archive of Silence

The Ministry of Culture and Information has announced the results of the curatorial competition for Kazakhstan’s national pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale 2026, Qazinform News Agency reports. About The competition was held as part of efforts to establish a transparent and sustainable practice for preparing the national pavilion. Applications were accepted for one month. The selection process took place in two stages: expert evaluation of the materials and online interviews with the finalists. Syrlybek Bekbotayev, an artist and curator, lives and works in Astana. His practice engages with themes of memory and cultural heritage. In 2025, he graduated from the Eurasian National Gumilyov University with a degree in Cultural Studies. Read more Toggle Installation