Moved and inspired by the sacrifice and resilience of an entire generation of Kyrgyz women who went abroad to earn a living for their families, Jazgul Madazimova uses her art to address questions of migration and borders. Employing performative installations as her primary medium, she adopts a collaborative and socially engaged approach, integrating artists, spaces, and communities. Women, with their experiences and perspectives, stand central in Madazimova’s works. Her drawing series Rabitza refers to the mesh fencing commonly used across Kyrgyzstan to demarcate home borders and protect gardens from animals—acting more as a symbolic boundary than a defensive wall. In the series, this fencing signifies where the home begins and ends. Just like these mesh fences, Madazimova’s work points to the contradictions of borders. In Central Asia, where many people economically rely on labour migration and where territorial disputes still cause sporadic conflicts, the notion of borders is a particularly sensitive subject. Throughout her practice, Madazimova poignantly reminds us that behind every migration story lies the tale of someone’s mother, sister, or friend.

Work in the exhibition: Rabitza (2017–2023), series of 17 ballpoint pen drawings, various sizes, 94 × 62 cm; 50 × 33 cm; 70 × 50 cm; 70 × 54 cm. Courtesy of the artist