Georgia Leigh-Münster

When the River Speaks

spring 2026

Almaty & Atyrau, Kazakhstan

Launching in April 2026, When the River Speaks is a multimedia art and research project exploring the human and environmental impact of flooding in western Kazakhstan through the lens of climate justice. It brings together artists, activists, researchers, and ecological experts to foster cross-cultural dialogue and creative collaboration. The project centres on a field research residency in Atyrau, where participants will engage directly with local communities impacted by recent disasters. Through site visits, shared research, and collective reflection, the group will explore themes of ecological vulnerability, resilience, and environmental inequality—placing local experience within a broader global context. Residents will co-create a body of collaborative artwork – video, sound, installation, and writing, for example – that documents and responds to the realities of water-based climate crises. The result of the lab will be a collective multimedia, multi-disciplinary, research-based exhibition, rather than individual artworks. By combining artistic practice with environmental research and community engagement, When the River Speaks aims to generate new ways of thinking and feeling around climate change—as an issue of shared responsibility and lived experience.

Curated by Georgia Leigh-Münster and Anel Moldakhmetova from the [non] museum Almaty team, and supported by the British Council Kazakhstan and Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture.