Bibigul Kussainova

Bibigul Kussainova is a museum curator and researcher based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She works at the Abylkhan Kasteyev National Museum of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan, where she is involved in research on museum collections and the development of exhibitions and public programs.

Her work focuses on collection research, exhibition development, and the study of cultural heritage within museum contexts. In her curatorial practice she engages with both historical materials and contemporary artistic practices, exploring connections between art, history, and museum interpretation.

Alongside her curatorial work, Bibigul is involved in grant-based research projects and studies related to cultural heritage, including the exploration of intangible cultural heritage and its representation within museum contexts.

She has also participated in archaeological fieldwork, including the Botai expedition in Northern Kazakhstan, which contributed to her interest in material culture and interdisciplinary approaches to heritage research.

Bibigul studied Museum Studies and Cultural Heritage Preservation at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and later completed a Master’s degree in Museum Curatorship at Saint Petersburg State University, where she also undertook an internship at the State Hermitage Museum.

During their residency at the Weltmuseum Wien, Didar Azat and Bibigul Kussainova will focus on research into the museum’s Central Asian collections, with particular attention to objects and materials connected to the cultural histories of Central Asia. Their work will explore how Central Asian heritage has been collected, documented, and interpreted within European museum contexts.

Drawing on their experience as museum researchers and curators at the Abylkhan Kasteyev National Museum of Arts in Almaty, they aim to contribute to the development of the museum’s focus project on Central Asia. Through collection study, archival research, and dialogue with curators and researchers, they will examine different perspectives on the presentation and interpretation of Central Asian art and material culture.

The residency will also provide an opportunity to reflect on museum practices and to strengthen professional exchange between institutions working with Central Asian collections.