Spend your lunch hour with Kazakh artist, DJ, and activist Sabina Fattakh as she shares insights into Kazakhstan’s local art scene from the perspective of a practitioner and as a co-founder of Kerege, an art platform actively building this work in Almaty, Kazakhstan.“

Contemporary Art Practices and Institutions in Kazakhstan” will take place during Lunch on Fridays from 12:15 to 1:30pm Friday, October 17 in CIA's Peter B. Lewis Theater.

Sabina Fattakh navigates her creative journey through a decolonial and feminist lens, challenging hegemonic narratives while celebrating her cultural heritage. Her DJ sets serve as a form of cultural resistance, blending traditional Kazakh melodies with contemporary beats, reclaiming spaces and narratives often silenced by colonial histories. Embracing her identity as a Qumalaqshi, she incorporates traditional nomadic divination practices into her performances, grounding her art in ancestral knowledge. Through her activism, Sabina advocates for decolonization and inclusivity, working towards a world where diverse voices are heard and valued.

This edition of Lunch on Fridays is held in partnership with ATNSC and CEC ArtsLink.

Speaker Bio

Sabina Fattakh is a DJ, mathematics teacher, and co-founder of the art platform Kerege (Almaty). Today her practice focuses on the intersection of sound, local knowledge, and community; the lens is decolonial, feminist, and queer. Procedures matter to Fattakh: how participants reach agreements, how the contexts of materials are recorded, and how audibility is secured for those whose voices have been written out of history.

Sabina Fattakh is an ArtsLink International Fellow 2025 hosted by ATNSC: Center for Healing and Creative Leadership. The Fellowship is supported by CEC ArtsLink. CEC ArtsLink supports transnational cultural mobility and collaboration, empowering artists and arts leaders to engage communities in dialogue and creative projects for a more equitable, compassionate and sustainable world. For more information, please visit cecartslink.org.

Parking

Lunch on Fridays attendees may park in CIA's Lot 73 and Annex Lot, both of which surround our campus. Please note that signs posted around those lots correctly state that parking typically requires a CIA permit or visitor pass and that violators will be ticketed. However, to accommodate our valued Lunch on Fridays attendees, that policy won't be enforced during the program. Have questions? Please contact Reinberger Gallery at reinbergergallery@cia.edu or 216.421.7407.

Sponsors

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH