Yinka Shonibare’s Wind Sculpture Installed at Almaty Museum of Arts

ASTANA — A new sculpture by renowned British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare has been installed in front of the Almaty Museum of Arts. Created especially for the museum, Wind Sculpture symbolizes freedom and cultural exchange.

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The work, resembling the sails of a ship, references the transatlantic slave trade while embodying the artist’s vision of “sculpting the wind.”  Made of aluminum, the sculpture appears light and dynamic, decorated with patterns inspired by Ankara fabric — a material whose complex history reflects the interweaving of cultures.

Yinka Shonibare is one of the world’s leading contemporary artists, with works in major institutions including MoMA in New York, Tate in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

The Almaty Museum of Arts, founded by collector and philanthropist Nurlan Smagulov, will open in September. Its collection features over 700 works from Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and international artists, and the museum aims to become a major platform for contemporary art in the region.