ARTCOM

Balqaş Jyry — The Song of Lake Balkhash Balqaş Jyry is a film by the women’s collective Artcom, created as a continuation of the long-term practices of care for the Lake Balkhash @careforbalkhash . Inspired by the poetic tradition of zhyr and the steppe philosophy of qazaqlyq, the film restores the lake’s agency — its ability to resist, its right to recover, and its future. Currently at the @berlinbiennale Kazakhstan premiere — August 31 at the Qyzqaras film festival @qyzqaras __________________________________________ Balqaş Jyry — @careforbalkhash бастамасының аясында көп жылдық қамқорлық тәжірибелерінің жалғасы ретінде әйелдерден құралған Artcom ұжымымен жасалған фильм. Жыр дәстүрі мен қазақылық далалық философиясынан шабыт алған фильм, Балқаш көліне агенттігін — қарсылық көрсету қабілетін, қалпына келу құқығын және болашағын қайтарады. Қазір @berlinbiennale -де Қазақстандағы премьерасы — 31 тамызда Qyzqarás фестивалінде @qyzqaras __________________________________________ conceived and written by @aigerimkapar cinematography, film editing, color grading by @ssssss6666aaaaaaa composer, sound production, and voice-over @akmaral.mergen animation, design and editing assistant @a.karly producer and concept co-writing @lihooneeyed producer and illustrator @aygerrro Co-commissioned and produced by the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art @berlinbiennale and Frac Poitou-Charentes @fracpoitoucharentes . With the support of Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture @tselinnycenter and Goethe-Institut Kasachstan @goetheinstitut_kasachstan

Balqaş Jyry is a film where Lake Balkhash gains voice and embodiment. Through the movement of water, the breath of wind, and the rhythm of the steppe, Balkhash tells its story — a story of the profound bond between nature and humans, ruptured by colonialism, industrialization, and ecological violence. How do we listen to the water’s grief? How do we make its silence seen? Kazakhstan premiere — August 31 at the @qyzqaras film festival _________________ Balqaş Jyry — Балқаш көлі дауыс пен дүниелікке ие болатын фильм. Су қозғалысы, желдің тынысы мен даланың ырғақтары арқылы Балқаш өз тарихын баяндайды —отаршылдықпен, индустриализациямен және экологиялық зорлық-зомбылықпен табиғат пен адамның терең байланысының үзілгені тарихымен бөліседі. Судың зарын қалай естиміз? Үнсіздігін қалай көрсете аламыз? Қазақстандағы премьерасы — 31 тамызда @qyzqaras фестивалінде _________________ conceived and written by @aigerimkapar cinematography, film editing, color grading by @ssssss6666aaaaaaa composer, sound production, and voice-over @akmaral.mergen animation, design and editing assistant @a.karly producer and concept co-writing @lihooneeyed producer and illustrator @aygerrro music, poetry and sounds: dombyra @robinnramm jetigen and kobyz @akmaral.mergen foley sounds @lihooneeyed poetry by Serik Tūrğynbekov music composed by @arshylan_shattyq and @seevogell performed by @seevogell recorded by @kkoxan english translation by @mirgulkali english editor @zohrasaed russian translation by @smokingmyself Co-commissioned and produced by the Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art @berlinbiennale and Frac Poitou-Charentes @fracpoitoucharentes . With the support of Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture @tselinnycenter , Kazakhstan and Goethe-Institut Kasachstan @goetheinstitut_kasachstan

trip to Balkhash Lake amidst this beauty present traces of slow violence, environmental terror, extractivistic practices and still infrastructure of care and hope thanks to @artcom.platform @aigerimkapar @lihooneeyed @aqtorgyn and Acell Shaldibayeva

Balqaş Jyry / The Song of Lake Balkhash a work by Artcom Platform | IMPAKT Exhibition: Techno-Ancestrality. ⁠ ⁠ Since 2020, the women-led collective Artcom Platform has developed practices of care for Lake Balkhash, a vast inland body of water threatened by over-extraction, climate change, and plans for a nuclear plant along its shores. Balqaş Jyry (“The Song of Lake Balkhash”) emerges from this initiative as a video essay spoken in the voice of the lake itself, articulating the ecological and political pressures shaping its present condition.⁠ ⁠ Drawing on Qazaqlïq—the nomadic political tradition of steppe democracy grounded in mobility and resistance—the work reframes fugitivity as ecological method. The moving digital camera echoes the embodied perspective of riding horseback across the steppe. Presented within woven reed structures, called şym şi, the installation carries forward the collective practice of weaving as a form of shared knowledge and environmental stewardship.⁠ ⁠ Through digital media rooted in steppe cosmology, the work proposes care as both resistance and continuity—listening to the lake not as a resource, but as a living presence.⁠ ⁠ Come and visit us to see Artcom Platform's work⁠ 🎟️ TIckets are available via the link in our bio ⁠ 🗓️ Open: Wed-Sun, 12:00-18:00 ⁠ ⁠ 📸 Photography by Pieter Kers⁠

Құрметті достар, Астанада өтетін Regional Ecological Summit 2026 аясында сіздермен жүздесуді асыға күтеміз @res_2026 @res2026expo FALAK: Song of Water and Land көрмесінің қоғамдық бағдарламасы аясында @cckuduk × @swissembassykazakhstan сіздерді Balqaş Jyry фильмінің көрсетіліміне және талқылауға шақырамыз. 24 сәуір, 14:00–16:00 Панель: Заманауи енердегі экологиялык, такырыптар. ——— Dear friends and colleagues, We look forward to meeting you at the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 in Astana. As part of the public programme of FALAK: Song of Water and Land @cckuduk × @swissembassykazakhstan we invite you to a screening of Balqaş Jyry and discussion. 24 April, 14:00–16:00 Panel: Ecological Themes in Contemporary Art ——— Дорогие, будем рады встретиться на Regional Ecological Summit 2026 в Астане. В рамках публичной программы выставки FALAK: Song of Water and Land приглашаем вас на показ фильма Balqaş Jyry и дискуссию. 24 апреля, 14:00–16:00 Панель: Экологические темы в современном искусстве 22–24 April Mangilik El 53/1, Astana Registration: res2026expo.regist.kz See you there ✨

It was a pleasure to be invited by Gridthiya @jeab_project304 to give our artist talk, “Weaving Infrastructures of Care with Lake Balkhash,” at @jimthompsonartcenter , where we shared our community-based artistic initiatives and reflected on how art, storytelling, and nomadic knowledge can shape ecological justice in landscapes marked by industrial ideology. Through the talk we shared our long term efforts to create community based infrastructures of care for the ecosystem of Lake Balkhash as a living being and an archive where water, memory, and power flow together, and reflects on alternative pathways of inhabiting ecological crisis, where storytelling and embodied knowledge sustain relational accountability within planetary interdependence. As part of the artist talk we also shared the practice of collective şym şi weaving, as a practice of creating space where stories and knowledges can be told, listened to and co-created, strengthening our bonds and resilience as a global community. It was meaningful for us to share our experiences in dialogue with the exhibition of @somsupaparinya “MO NUM EN TS” at @jimthompsonartcenter that reflects on the entanglements between history, the environment, and political ideology, questioning the dams on Mekong river as structures that, despite their environmental damage and inefficiency in power production, continue to stand as monuments to the ideology of development. We are also very grateful to @airmanuair for showing us the @dibbangkok and sharing stories of the artworks and artists from the collection, and her future plans to work with them. We are deeply thankful to everyone who shared their time, thoughts and solidarity with us in Thailand💙

We are happy to share moments from our visit to the Thailand Biennale @thailand_biennale , taking place in Phuket this year, made possible through the kind invitation of Gridthiya Gaweewong @jeab_project304 , organised by @jimthompsonartcenter team. It was a pleasure to meet artists, curators, and cultural practitioners from across Thailand. We are deeply grateful for the conversations, wonderful art, life changing shared meals, and the new connections that emerged during this visit. We carry these encounters with warmth and gratitude, and hope they will continue to grow into future meetings, collaborations, and shared paths.

Балқашқа жасаған сапарымыздан және Асыл ханым, Даулет аға мен Балқаш қаласының музейімен, сондай-ақ Рымкүл ханым, Гүлчира ханым, «Балқашым — алтын бесігім» қауымдастығы және суретші Жангүлмен бірлескен жұмысымыздың жалғасынан фотосуреттермен бөлісеміз. Сонымен қатар Жақсылық ағамен танысып, оның жергілікті музыкалық мұраны оқыту және жалғастыру бағытындағы еңбегімен танысқаныма қуаныштымыз. Біз бірге жергілікті қауымдастықтармен бірлесе отырып, Балқаш көліне, оның экожүйелеріне және жергілікті білімдерге қамқорлық жасау инфрақұрылымдарын қалыптастыруды жалғастырып келеміз. —— We share photographs from our recent trip to Balkhash and the continuation of our work with Asyl khanym, Daulet aga, and the Balkhash City Museum, as well as with Rymkul khanym, Gulchira khanym, and the initiative “Balkhash — Golden Cradle” and the artist Zhangul. We were also pleased to meet Zhaksylyk aga and to learn about his work in teaching and sustaining the local musical tradition. Together, we continue to build infrastructures of care for Lake Balkhash, its ecosystems, and local knowledge in collaboration with local communities. ——— Делимся фотографиями нашей поездки в Балқаш и продолжения работы с Асыл ханым, Даулет аға и музеем города Балқаш, а также Рымкуль ханым, Гульчирой ханым и «Балқашым – алтын бесігім», и художницей Жангуль. Также мы были рады познакомиться с Жаксылык аға и его работой по преподаванию и продолжению локальной музыкальной традиции. Вместе мы продолжаем создавать инфраструктуры заботы об озере Балқаш, экосистемах и локальных знаниях совместно с местными сообществами.

𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐴 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑇𝑎𝑙𝑘: 𝐴𝑟𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 (𝐾𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑘ℎ𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛) 𝑏𝑦 𝐴𝑖𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚 𝐾𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑟& 𝐴𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑎 𝑣𝑎𝑛 𝐿𝑖𝑒𝑟𝑣 Friday 6 March 2026, 18:30 - 20:00 At 2nd floor, Event Space Jim Thompson Art Center • The talk will be conducted in English. Register Here: https://forms.gle/xK3qhL6zXohvq8Ch8 This talk introduces Artcom Platform, a community-based artistic initiative from Central Asia, and reflects on how art, storytelling, and nomadic knowledge shape ecological justice in landscapes marked by industrial ideology. Rooted in the Great Steppe, the presentation engages Lake Balkhash as a living body of water whose ecosystem carries the imprint of dams, smelters, and energy infrastructures once celebrated as symbols of progress. Centering the long-term initiative Care for Balkhash, Aigerim Kapar and Antonina van Lier approach the Balkhash basin as a living archive where water, memory, and power flow together. Through exhibitions, public forums, interdisciplinary research, and collective practices, they explore how care becomes an infrastructural method—reconnecting fragmented communities and repositioning artistic work within hydrosocial systems shaped by colonialism and contemporary extraction. Drawing from decolonial and feminist approaches, the talk reflects on alternative pathways of inhabiting ecological crisis, where storytelling and embodied knowledge sustain relational accountability within planetary interdependence.

Art, Care, and Environmental Justice: Community-Based Practices from Central Asia by @aigerimkapar at the Vidyashilp University by the invitation from @watotsereteli This talk introduces Artcom Platform, a community-based contemporary art and public engagement initiative from Kazakhstan, and explores the role of art in advancing environmental and climate justice through grassroots, women-led practices. Drawing on decolonial, feminist, and intersectional approaches, the presentation examines how artistic methods can foster collective care, knowledge production, and community solidarity in ecologically vulnerable contexts. The talk centres on Care for Balkhash @careforbalkhash , a long-term infrastructure of care dedicated to the ecosystem of Lake Balkhash, which faces growing threats from industrialisation, climate change, and unsustainable resource use. Through participatory art practices, interdisciplinary research, and educational programs, Care for Balkhash brings together artists, scientists, and local communities to co-create knowledge and imagine sustainable futures rooted in local ecologies. ——— Aigerim Kapar (b. 1987, Kazakhstan) is a curator, artist, and interdisciplinary researcher working internationally at the intersection of decolonial, environmental, and community-based practices. She is the founder of Artcom Platform, a contemporary art and public engagement initiative grounded in collective care, nomadic knowledge, and environmental justice. Kapar currently leads long-term projects centered on Lake Balkhash, including Care for Balkhash and Interweaving Climate, Water(s) and Communities—a transnational exhibition and series of gatherings focused on hydrosocial relations and climate justice.

✨ ROUNDUP # 3 Workshop Caring and Learning with Lake Balkhash with Aigerim Kapar @aigerimkapar 💙🌊🙏🏽 @artcom.platform 🫧 As part of the program of guided tours, workshops, film screenings and conversations that accompanied the exhibition Techno-Ecologies and Bodies of Memory: the Environment as Battleground (18 July - 5 October 2025) @kunstraumkreuzberg Curated by Marianna Liosi @mariannaliosi Funded by Kulturstiftung des Bundes

Balqaş Jyry at the London Short Film Festival @londonshortfilmfest ! We’re excited to share that Balqaş Jyry (The Song of Lake Balkhash) will screen at the London Short Film Festival as part of Wonders and Disasters: Nature, Architecture, and Colonialism in Central Asia, curated by Misha Zakharov @m_m_zakharov . Screenings 27 January — Institute of Contemporary Arts @icalondon 30 January — Zoroastrian Centre, Harrow @ztfe1861 Balqaş Jyry is created as a continuation of the long-term practices of Care for the Lake Balkhash initiative. In the film Lake Balkhash gains voice and embodiment. Through the movement of water, the breath of wind, and the rhythm of the steppe, Balkhash tells its story — a story of the profound bond between nature and humans, ruptured by colonialism, industrialization, and ecological violence.
Inspired by the poetic tradition of zhyr and the political tradition of qazaqlyq, the film restores the lake’s agency — its ability to resist, its right to recover, and its future. “In a fable-like narrative that blends surreal imagery of horses and water with animated spaceships, the mixed-media visual essay Balqaş Jyry (The Song of Lake Balkhash) recounts key flashpoints in Kazakhstan’s colonisation - including collectivisation, ecological devastation, and the Soviet-engineered genocide in the form of the Kazakh famine - from the perspective of Lake Balkhash, which is now at risk of desiccation, much like the Aral Sea.” - programme curator Misha Zakharov @m_m_zakharov “The film lets the lake retell its own story, reversing the narratives of human victory over nature. It presents its own view on the colonisation of Kazakhstan, which involved the devastation of nomadic lifeways and natural ecosystems. Vision, from this perspective, requires a shift: away from the ideology of progress and toward a submerged way of seeing, attuned to damaged water flows and living textures that carry long histories of violence.” - Kseniia Bespalova, Klassiki @klassiki.online