The exhibition “MUSEUM MUSES” (“Museal-91”) is a continuation of the exhibition “Museal-90,” which explores the history of the museum as an institution. In this new chapter, we offer a different perspective and assert that the history of our museum is, first and foremost, the history of women across time. It is their daily, often invisible labor, their emotional engagement, and their professional resilience that laid the foundation for one of the country’s most significant art institutions

The exhibition consists of data art based on statistical data on staffing, director salaries, employee addresses, etc. The chronological framework ranges from 1935 to 2026. The archival section explores the role and experience of the individual within the vast structure of a major institution. Through handwritten autobiographies, applications for childcare placement, and the personal files of technical staff, we see how the country’s vast history was refracted through the everyday needs of women. The central part of the exhibition, “Ookat, Ookat, Oh My God,” explores the sacralization of everyday objects belonging to the museum’s employees, as well as the microecology and microclimate of the museum.

The exhibition “MUSEUM MUSES” (“Museal-91”) is a subjective reflection on the museum environment, where we bring women out of the shadows of collections and exhibitions and onto the main stage, making their voice, everyday life, and perseverance the central subject of art.

Date: May 16th – 23rd 2026

Location: the Lecture Hall of the G. Aitiev Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts (Bishkek).