Almaty appears to be finding new ways to make everyday life more engaging: visitors can now go to a café or restaurant not only for coffee or dinner, but also for an impromptu art experience. Without planning ahead, diners may simply sit down and find an original painting hanging nearby.
Artist Yevgeniy Fridlin, whose work is increasingly featured in the interiors of Almaty’s restaurants and cafés, said the concept is far from new. He notes that displaying art in dining spaces dates back to the era of Post-Impressionism.
From Zurich to a global trend
A major turning point came in Zurich. In 1924, the Kronenhalle restaurant opened, and in the 1940s its owner, Gustav Zumsteg, began displaying his collection of modern art throughout the space.
Works by masters such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Wassily Kandinsky, Georges Braque and Henri Matisse were hung directly above dining tables, allowing guests to dine surrounded by museum-quality art.
By the early 21st century, the concept had evolved into a global trend. The growth of the art market, efforts to make art more accessible and the rise of Instagram — where a dinner photo beneath an original masterpiece adds a new layer of storytelling — all contributed to the emergence of art-focused dining spaces.
Kazakhstan’s take on «art restaurants»
In Kazakhstan, this trend has been developing gradually.
«We first implemented projects like this at our gallery in the House of Scholars in collaboration with a wine producer back in the 2000s,» said Yuri Markovich, director of the Ular Gallery. «We remain committed because these collaborations play an educational role. Even if guests don’t come specifically for the art, they inevitably notice it while they dine.»
Fridlin said restaurants offer a more dynamic environment for art than more traditional venues.
«A restaurant is a lively, emotionally open space,» he said. «It’s like live music — a natural fusion of good painting and good wine.»
Artists on display across the city
Today, works by a wide range of Kazakhstani artists are displayed across Almaty’s dining scene. These include Moldakul Narymbetov, Said Atabekov and Kuanysh Bazargaliyev, whose works are featured at Auyl.
Meanwhile, artist Sakhi Romanov’s works are currently exhibited at the café of the Almaty Museum of Arts.
