Alexander Ugay
Alexander Ugay
Alexander Ugay. Part of the work "Obscuration 6". 2018
Alexander Ugay. Obscuraton #5. Pulota. 2017

Born in 1978, Alexander Ugay is a Kazakh-Korean photographer, video artist and creator of “cinema-objects” within experimental collective Bronepoezd, which means “armed train” in Kazakh, of which he is one of the founders alongside Roman Maskalev. One of the most active figures in the Kazakh art scene, he was educated at St. Petersburg University and Bishnek University in Kyrgyzstan.

Works

Gaptinuum #1. 2023

Mixed media installation, camera obscura, black-and-white silver gelatin prints, digital prints
Variable dimensions

Unknown Return. 2023

Mixed media installation, encaustic wax, digital prints
Variable dimensions

Obscuration 6. 2018.

Wood, silver, gelatin, C-print
144 x 100 cm

Obscuration 9. Vertical Horizon. 2018.

Wood, silver, gelatin, C-print
215 × 23 × 23 (each)

Bastion. 2007

Super 8mm, transferred to HD5 min 10 sec. Edition 3/5.
5 min 10 sec

Tea ceremony. 2001

8mm film, transferred to HD5 min 10 sec. Edition 2/5.
5’10”

Earth and Shape. 2013

HD video16 min 30 sec. Edition 1/5
16’ 30”

More than a hundred thousand times. 2019-2020

Multi-channel HD video35 min 48 sec. Edition 2/5.
35’ 48”

Waltz, 2009

Single channel video, mini DV1 min 45 sec. Edition 2/5.
1’ 45”.

Memory Objects. 2013

Digital photography. Variable dimensions.
Variable dimension

Memory Objects. 2013

Digital photography. Variable dimensions.
Variable dimension

Memory Objects. 2013

Digital photography. Variable dimensions.
Variable dimension

Press

Books

Artist Biography

Alexander Ugay

Alexander Ugay

Born in 1978, Alexander Ugay is a Kazakh-Korean photographer, video artist and creator of “cinema-objects” within experimental collective Bronepoezd, which means “armed train” in Kazakh, of which he is one of the founders alongside Roman Maskalev. One of the most active figures in the Kazakh art scene, he was educated at St. Petersburg University and Bishnek University in Kyrgyzstan. He comes from a Korean family deported to Central Asia during the 1930s. Through his work Ugay explores questions concerning memory and nostalgia, with a focus on examining the interaction of history with the present and the future through photography and more recently, installation. His simultaneous portrayal of the past and the present is reflected via his 8-16 mm film camera manufactured during the Soviet era combined with a modern digital recording device. Many of Ugay’s photo and video-based works are aimed at studying the relationship between collective and personal memory through time and space. His work concerning personal and collective memory is captured through his representations of the still and moving image as found in his video work “Bastion” about the Monument to the Third Tatlin International.

Ugay has shown his work at the Busan Biennial of Contemporary Art (2022), Art Sonje Center in Seoul (2020); Sapar Contemporary in New York (2019);  Lunds Konsthall in Sweden (2018); Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow (2016); Strasbourg Museum of Contemporary Art (2014);  Museum of Contemporary Art (2011); Venice Architectural Biennale (2010); Centre Pompidou in Paris (2010); in the New Museum, New York (2009);  Central Asian Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007); as well as various other biennials and international projects around the world, including solo shows at Aspan Gallery, Almaty, and Galeria Labirynt, Lublin, Poland, among others. 

His work is part of international private and public collections. The latter includes Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Galeria Labirynt, Lublin, Poland; National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Astana, and Lunds Konsthall, Lund, Sweden.