E. Yessekeyeva (Emina)

Religion and art have gone hand in hand for centuries. Today, the relationship between religion and contemporary art is treated as ambiguous and controversial. Despite this, the mainstream of contemporary art includes references to religious and non-religious narratives, motifs, elements and iconography through various prisms. Religion has returned to art, not because the artist holds any religious beliefs, but due to changes in society, including the role and place of religion in it. Artists explore critique and transform through creativity, while contemporary art acts as an independent platform for discussion and reflection on social, cultural and political issues.

I particularly focus on contemporary art in Kazakhstan, which is currently experiencing a religious revival, and contemporary Kazakh artists of the Old and New Generation. Artists from both generations work with new media, whose works contain religious and non-religious elements and narratives. However, their works cannot be classified as "religious art", nor they do not function in a religious context. Thus, this study will take up questions about how and why contemporary artists use religion and the interpretation of works of art.