Biography
ORTA is a Kazakhstani art group consisting of Alexandra Morozova (b. 1982) and Rustem Begenov (b. 1983).
ORTA undertakes a rigorous examination of past and present, addressing fundamental questions of existence and the structure of the world while consciously rejecting established critical frameworks. Building on the legacy of Kazakh artist and inventor Sergey Kalmykov (1891–1967), they have developed the Theory of the New Genius, a practice through which they produce theater works, performances, installations, sound, visual and video projects, workshops, lectures, and large-scale Planetary Projects—inventing both the artistic forms and the language needed to explore and articulate the questions at the heart of their work.
ORTA’s work has been presented internationally across museums, biennials, festivals, and contemporary art platforms. Their projects and commissions have been realized at the 59th Venice Biennale (Kazakhstan National Pavilion), the 13th Seoul Mediacity Biennale, La MaMa ETC (New York), Voices Festival (Berlin), NET–New European Theatre Festival, and other international venues. ORTA’s work has been documented and discussed in major catalogues and publications, including those of the Venice Biennale and Seoul Mediacity Biennale, as well as in e-flux Journal, Artnet News, The Art Newspaper, Elephant, The Telegraph, a.o.
Their current Planetary Project, The Great Atomic Bombreflector, confronts the enduring impact of 40 years of nuclear testing in Kazakhstan known as Atomic Inhumanity.
CV
Performances
2025
The New Genius Experience of the Great Atomic Bombreflector — Berlin, Voices Berlin Festival, Radialsystem, Berlin, DE
The New Genius Experience of the Great Atomic Bombreflector — Seoul, 13th Seoul Mediacity Biennale, SAPY, Seoul, KR
2024
Spectacular Experiments on the Great Atomic Bombreflector, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, New York, US
2022
Spectacular Experiments in the Temporary Temple of the New Genius, Kazakhstan Pavilion, 59th Venice Biennale, Venice, IT
2021
Zen-Extravaganza “The First Atomic Bombreflector”, NONAME Festival, Meyerhold Center, Moscow, RU
The First Visible Phenomena Reactor, Aspan Gallery, Almaty, KZ
2019
The Appearance of the First Volume of the Novel in a Thousand Volumes, Almaty, KZ
2018
Svetoprestavleniye Sergey Kalmykov, New Drama Festival, Meyerhold Center, Moscow, RU
2016
Pop-mechanical Performance “Medea.Material”, NET (New European Theatre) Festival, Meyerhold Center, Moscow, RU
Exhibitions
2025
The New Genius Temple of the Great Atomic Bombreflector, 13th Seoul Mediacity Biennale, SeMA (Seoul Museum of Art), Seoul, KR
2022
LAI–PI–CHU–PLEE–LAPA Centre for the New Genius, Kazakhstan pavilion, 59th Venice Biennale, Venice, IT
Temporary Temple of the New Genius, Kazakhstan pavilion, 59th Venice Biennale, Venice, IT
2021
New Genius Kazakhstan, NONAME Festival, Meyerhold Center, Moscow, RU
New Genius Design, Aspan Gallery, Almaty, KZ
Curatorial Projects
2022
LAI–PI–CHU–PLEE–LAPA Centre for the New Genius, Kazakhstan pavilion, 59th Venice Biennale, Venice, IT
Temporary Temple of the New Genius, Kazakhstan pavilion, 59th Venice Biennale, Venice, IT
2021
New Genius Kazakhstan, NONAME Festival, Meyerhold Center, Moscow, RU
New Genius Design, Aspan Gallery, Almaty, KZ
2018
MASTERPIECE, New Drama Festival, Meyerhold Center, Moscow, RU
A Month of Sergey Kalmykov, Almaty, KZ
Week of Heiner Goebbels, Almaty, KZ
Public Programs
2025
Workshop: The New Genius Experience, Voices Berlin Festival, Berlin, DE
Panel Discussion: Culture Across Borders, Voices Berlin Festival, Berlin, DE
Workshop: The New Genius Experience, 13th Seoul Mediacity Biennale, SeMA (Seoul Museum of Art), Seoul, KR
2024
Report: The Great Atomic Bombreflector, IMPACT24 International Symposium, Essen, DE
Workshop: The Great Atomic Bombreflector: Creating the Time-Space Bending Projects, Aubakirova School, Almaty, KZ
2021
Lecture: World Advertisement as a Spiritual Practice, NONAME Festival, Meyerhold Center, Moscow, RU
Roundtable: First International Congress on the New Genius, Electrotheatre Stanislavsky, Moscow, RU
Performative Talk: The Launch of the First Visible Phenomena Reactor, Aspan Gallery, Almaty, KZ
Lecture: How to Practice Genius, Artmeken Gallery, Almaty, KZ
2020
Performative Lecture: The New Geniuses of the First Rank, Tselinny Center, Almaty, KZ
Performative Lecture: Basics of the New Genius, Kochi-Muziris Biennale Foundation, Kochi, IN
Performative Lecture: How to Practice Genius, Kerala Museum, Kochi, IN
Performative Workshop: Open Experiments of the New Genius Institute, bŪLt, Almaty, KZ
2019
Workshop: The Fragile Orchestra, Almaty, KZ
2018
Roundtable: Art and Madness, Aurora Space, Almaty, KZ
Lecture: Being a Contemporary Artist, Vlast Update, Almaty, KZ
2016
Roundtable: Theatre Afterwards, NET (New European Theatre) Festival, Meyerhold Center, Moscow, RU
Roundtable: Theatre: The New Place of Power, Almaty, KZ
Books
Catalogue for the Kazakhstan Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale. Sacred Expositions of the Great and Immortal LAI–PI–CHU–PLEE–LAPA. Milan: Foundation for Contemporary Art in Kazakhstan, 2022.
Kalmykov, Sergey. A Guide to Sergey Kalmykov. Almaty: ORTA, 2022.
Kalmykov, Sergey. The First Volume of the Novel in a Thousand Volumes. Almaty: Vlast, 2019.
Films
2021
The Theory of New Genius, 50 min. Official Selection: Message to Man International Film Festival, St. Petersburg, RU
2018
Zharyqopera Overture “Ñ. Ğ. Q.”, 2:37 min. Official Selection: Re-Fest, New York, US
Audio Projects
2021
7000 Pyramids of Joseph Beuys, Radio Beuys project. Commissioned by the Goethe-Institut Kazakhstan
2017-2020
The New Geniuses of the First Rank, author’s series. Radio Classic, Almaty, KZ
Selected Publications
Catalogue of the 13th Seoul Mediacity Biennale. Séance: Technology of the Spirit. Seoul: Seoul Museum of Art and Mediabus, 2025.
Goebbels, Heiner. A House of Call. My imaginary notebook. Berlin: Neofelis Verlag, 2022.
Catalogue of the 59th Venice Biennale. The Milk of Dreams.
Venice: La Biennale di Venezia, 2022.
Catalogue for the Kazakhstan Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale. Sacred Expositions of the Great and Immortal LAI–PI–CHU–PLEE–LAPA. Milan: Foundation for Contemporary Art in Kazakhstan, 2022.
Terzopoulos Tribute Delphi. Berlin: Verlag Theater der Zeit, 2022.
Nedlina, Valeria; Demiterko, Ekaterina. The Art of Light and Sound, issue 1. St. Petersburg: Russian Institute of Art History, 2021.
Selected Press