Tracing the Origins of Kazakho-Futurism: Local Artistic Imaginaries and Global Cosmic Endeavours

Abstract

This article explores how cultural representations of outer space in Kazakhstan reflect and shape public debates on the history and legacy of the Soviet cosmos while offering new perspectives on national cosmic imaginaries. Kazakhstan inherited much of the Soviet outer space physical infrastructure, including its most potent artefact, spaceport Baikonur. The article demonstrates that the artistic representations of the cosmic themes provide an important ground for understanding 1) how the cosmic enthusiasm and utopianism of Soviet astroculture have been moulded into a more critical interpretation of outer space and its impact on Kazakhstani society and 2) how the cosmic mythologies of the past have been used for reinventing Kazakho-futurism as an element of the nation’s future. ‘Cosmic art’ offers a unique lens for exploring how cultural representations of outer space contribute to the redefinition of societal conditions and the complexity of becoming a sovereign nation in the twenty-first century.