Kyrgyz Republic
Art-Residence
of Bishkek School of Contemporary Art
"Bulbul"
Bulbul is more than a space. It’s a breath. A pause. A place where time slows down and creativity stretches its wings.
About Us
The Bulbul Art-Residence was opened in 2023 in the village of Besh-Kungei, just 15 minutes from Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The residency is curated by artist Syinat Zholdosheva and her husband, Ruslan Ismailov, together with the founders of the Bishkek School of Contemporary Art (BiSCA).
Bulbul is an artist-run residency where artists work in close contact with local culture, nature, and the everyday rhythms of family life
Space

The residency is located on the second floor of a family house and has a separate entrance from the terrace.

The resident area includes:

  • Two bedrooms (one queen bed, one single bed)
  • Shared bathroom
  • Shared kitchen
  • A terrace
  • A 50 m² studio with a separate entrance from the terrace

The studio can host small events, performances, readings, and live presentations. The house has Wi-Fi, heating, and is suitable for long focused work periods.

Photo by Jacob
Photo by Leio
Photo by Jacob
Photo by Shifaaz
Photo by Mike
Photo by Jason
Photo by Sven
Photo by Ed
Photo by David
Photo by Hal
What we offer
  • Accommodation
  • Shared Studio
  • Possibility to hold public events
  • Curatoral Support
Location
Besh-Kungei is located near the mountains, offering:
  • A cooler and more pleasant summer climate than the city
  • Much cleaner air during winter
  • Open fields, quiet surroundings, and mountain views
  • A safe, calm village environment perfect for concentrated work
  • Shops and basic services are within a short walking distance or a quick drive..
Our address is the Kyrgyz Republic, Besh-Kungei village, Ordobai uulu Karynbai Str 28/2
Location on 2GIS: https://2gis.kg/bishkek/geo/70000001079587063
Location on Google Map:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gaH3ZqAqe9UTAQdo6
Curators
  • Syinat Zholdosheva
    Curator
  • Ruslan Ismailov
    Curator
    Co-founder of Art-Residence "Bulbul", Engineer
  • Alima Tokmergenova
    Curator
    Researcher, Co-Founder of the SYNERGY Creative Workshop, and Co-Founder of the Bishkek School of Contemporary Art.
  • BiSCA Team
    Founders
    Bishkek School of Contemporary Art is socially engaged art platform that offers to accumulate and promote art practices, reflections and experiences in their various manifestations, both at the level of mediums and at the level of artistic decisions / gestures / acts.
Our Residency Programmes
Apply for Standart Art-Residency Programme
Our Standard Art-Residency Programme offers artists, researchers, writers, and cultural practitioners working in any discipline a focused time and space for creative exploration. The standard residency includes accommodation, studio space, and basic organizational support.

Applications are accepted year-round. To apply, please fill out this form.
Apply for No Project Residency Programme
No Project Residency is a residency format for artists and practitioners who arrive without a defined project, clear plan, or expected result.
This programme is designed for:
  • periods of transition
  • exhaustion or creative pause
  • doubt, questioning, or reorientation
  • practices that need time rather than production
At Bulbul, not knowing is a valid starting point.
Process is enough.
Presence is enough.
Time is enough.
Applications are accepted year-round. To apply, please fill out this form.
Apply for Free Residency Programme for Women
(for citizens of Kyrgyzstan only)
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Learn more
Apply for Zine Residency Programme
(for citizens of Kyrgyzstan only)
We are launching the first zine residency at our art residency. The programme brings together living-on-site and inspiration from the Mobile Library.

Participants will create their own zine by exploring the local context, books, nature, and memory. We provide accommodation, materials, and support for printing. This is an invitation for those who work with self-publishing, appreciate silence and mountains, and believe in the power of small bo
AAA Zine Library Presentation
We are open for collaboration
If you are interested in exploring potential collaboration, please contact us.
  • For Other Art-Residencies and Cultural Institutions
    We are open to collaborating with other art residencies, independent initiatives, and cultural institutions through reciprocal exchange formats.
    We are interested in:
    • artist exchanges (1:1 or based on an agreed model),
    • joint open calls and curatorial programmes,
    • research-based and archival projects.
    If you represent an art residency or cultural platform and are considering an exchange or a joint project, we would be happy to start a dialogue.
  • For Donors & Funding Partners
    We are open to cooperation with donors and funding partners supporting artistic research, socially engaged practices, craft-based knowledge, and rural cultural initiatives. We are ready to share a concept note, programme outlines, and budget details upon request.

    If you are interested in exploring potential collaboration or learning more about our programmes, please contact us.
  • For Artisans & Craft Practitioners
    We invite artisans, craft practitioners, and makers to lead workshops as part of our residency programmes.

    If you would like to propose a workshop or share your practice, please contact us with a short description of your work and proposed format.
  • For Volunteers
    We welcome volunteers who are interested in supporting the everyday life and activities of the art residency.

    If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us with a short introduction and your availability.
Our residents
  • Дооров младший (Дооров Исламидин)
    Кыргызстан
    Художник, поэт.

    В 2011 году он поступил в художественную школу-интернат имени Т. Садыкова, а в 2013 году продолжил образование в художественном колледже того же имени. Позже несколько лет преподавал.

    В 2017 году Исламидин издал сборник стихов «Эртең кайра жаз келет» («Завтра вернётся весна»).
    С 2020 года его живопись активно участвует в выставках: республиканских, международных, тематических. Он принимал участие в проектах с кыргызскими, казахскими, французскими и немецкими художниками.

    Среди наиболее значимых выставок — персональные проекты «Мелуун» (2022), «Кара» (2024) и экспозиция АБ ЗАЦ (2025) в Национальном музее им. Гапара Айтиева. Его работы представлены в частных собраниях, а также в музейных коллекциях Кыргызстана, включая Национальный музей изобразительных искусств и Tolon Museum.

    В 2024 году стал младшим научным сотрудником Национального музея имени Г. Айтиева.
  • Gluklya
    Netherlands / Russia
    Gluklya, also known as Natalia Pershina-Yakimanskaya, is an artist working in Amsterdam and various other places , for now in Bishkek .
    Her practice moves between performance, video, and social engagement — exploring how art can become a tool for care and gentle resistance.
    Gluklya is known for her concept of fragility — not as weakness, but as an invisible force that unites people in times of injustice.
    Through collective actions, she brings together artists, workers, and migrants to imagine new forms of solidarity.
    In her current project, Carnival of Monsters, developed in Bishkek, Gluklya collaborates with sewing workers to explore automation, fear, and the meaning of care.
    The women create textile sculptures and “inner dresses” — symbols of resilience, transformation, and tenderness amidst precarity.
    Her previous works include The Utopian Unemployment Union and The Carnival of the Oppressed Feelings, presented at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, and at the 56th Venice Biennale curated by Okwui Enwezor.
    Across all her projects, Gluklya invites us to listen — to the quiet voices of those who are rarely heard — and to dream of a world where care becomes a radical, collective act.
  • Sharareh Bajracharya
    Nepal
    Sharareh Bajracharya is an art educator and currently the Director of Srijanalaya, an organization that works in arts education. She looks for systemic ways for the arts to foster the curiosities and joy of young children, young adults, and communities around them. She teaches at Kathmandu University Department of Art and Design, leading the specialization in the MFA program entitled Arts, Pedagogies, and Public Engagement. She has a passion for editing/producing picture books as counternarratives that build community and dissent. She was the past Director of the nonprofit art exhibition Kathmandu Triennale 2077 which took place in 2022.

    Period of stay: 30 September 2025 - 5 October 2025
  • Gracey Zhang
    USA / Canada
    Gracey Zhang is an award-winning illustrator, author, and animator with a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. She received the Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Award for her debut picture book, Lala’s Words. Her clients include The New York Times, NBC, NPR, VICE, and others. Gracey has also illustrated The Big Bath House, Nigel and The Moon, and The Upside Down Hat which was a recipient of The New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of 2022.

    Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, she has participated in artist residencies in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Angoulême, France. Gracey is now based in New York where she can be found working from her Brooklyn studio.
  • Anton Karmanov
    Russia
    Anton Karmanov is artist and a multi-practitioner, living and working in Novosibirsk, Russia.
    He has an education in political science and philosophy and practices music and theatre. Karmonov studied in The Rodchenko Art School in Moscow and in the Chto Delat School for Engaged Art in St. Petersburg. He is the co-founder and member of the cooperative На дне [Na dne, the Lower Depths] in Novosibirsk and an adviser to the city council of Novosibirsk (Urban planning). Karmonov is a member of Unmapping Eurasia.
  • Anton Polsky (Make)
    Germany/Russia
    Anton Polsky (Make) is an artist and academic interested in street art and socially engaged art practices. He teaches Art History at the Russian State University for the Humanities and is a co-founder and editor at Partizaning.org.
  • sTo Len
    USA
    sTo Len is a genre-fluid artist working in printmaking, installation, sound, video, and performance. He experiments with Suminagashi and Gyotaku techniques, turning them into collaborations with nature and platforms for environmental activism. His projects include working with rivers, transforming public spaces, recycling waste, and performing at Superfund sites. Based in Queens, NY, with roots in Vietnam and Virginia, Len weaves their histories, politics, and environments into his work. He was the first artist in residence at AlexRenew and a Public Artist in Residence at NYC’s sanitation department.
    His work has been shown in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia. In 2004 he co-founded Cinders Gallery in Brooklyn, curating hundreds of shows and publishing zines. As a sound performer, he’s appeared at venues including MOMA PS1, New Museum, St. Marks Church, and Roulette in New York, as well as Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, and Hanoi stages.
  • Oksana Kapishnikova
    Kyrgyzstan
    Oksana Kapishnikova is an art historian, artist, researcher, and curator of art exhibitions. She works in the field of new museology (participatory museum) and research exhibition practice. During her career, Oksana has realized more than 20 research, exhibition, and educational projects. She is a co-founder of the Bishkek School of Contemporary Art. She is currently working as a curator at the Museum of Feminine and Queer Art. Since 2019, Oksana has served as the Executive Secretary of the National Committee of the International Council of Museums in Kyrgyzstan. Oksana’s interests include museums, art history, eco-art, cultural memory, and crafts.
  • Илья Сибиряков
    Russia
    Ilya Sibiryakov is a Russian architect and artist who participates in various environmental exhibitions and biennales. Among them: the International Biennale of Environmental Art in Nizhny Novgorod, the Children's Archstoyanie, the St. Petersburg Economic Forum and others.
    Ilya Sibiryakov actively uses an interdisciplinary approach, combining architecture, art and design to draw attention to environmental issues and search for innovative solutions in the field of sustainable development.
    His works are often interactive, experimental in nature and aimed at involving viewers in the creative process.
    The geography of creative and educational projects includes Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Sakhalin, Baskunchak, Vladikavkaz...), Estonia (Tallinn), Kyrgyzstan, South Korea (Ansan), Montenegro.

    Educational activities: He conducts creative workshops and webinars aimed at developing spatial and constructive thinking, as well as collective architectural and abstract performances to create art objects from various improvised materials.
    Since 2018, he has been teaching regular online lessons for students from various countries in his fields of activity: spatial design, creation of art objects, and creative development.
FAQ
Here you can leave your feedback
If you were a resident, a guest, an event participant, or simply spent time at Bulbul, you can leave your feedback here.

It can be just a few sentences or a more detailed text — about the process, the conditions, the atmosphere, the work, or the time you spent here.
Reviews
  • “Syinat and her family are the most welcoming of hosts. I initially intended to stay 1 month at their residency but found myself extending not just because I needed more time to work but I also found their company incredibly generous and kind. They were always quick to offer any assistance I needed in terms of resources, information, etc. The art residency space was large and spacious with lovely natural light to work with and located close but far enough away from the city to wake up peacefully. The residency was more than an art residency and embodied the spirit of Kyrgyz hospitality and was a cultural exchange I’ll always remember fondly. I hope to be back to visit Syinat, Ruslan, Sophia and Aidyn soon.”
    Gracey Jhang
    Artist, New York, USA
  • It was amazing experience being in the residence! Artist is receiving a lot of care and support of family along with the place for solitude and concentration. Thank you again for your great hospitality!
    Gluklya
    Artist, Netherlands / Russia
  • "I lived with Synat and Ruslan for the whole month of May in 2025. I came to Kyrgyzstan to study Russian so I wanted to live in a family where I would have full immersion. I believe it was a very good choice because they are a very friendly family who gave me lots of opportunity to practice, especially with their two children. If you come from Europe or North America, Kyrgyzstan can be a very unfamiliar place, but both Ruslan and Synat really helped me feel at home."
    James Cetrullo
    Student, Italy
  • "I loved staying with Ruslan and Syinat. They were both extremely helpful, warm, and friendly. I enjoyed my daily conversations during dinner with them and they were always open to chat. They helped me improve a lot and also taught me about the customs and culture of Kyrgyzstan. I would highly recommend you stay with them in Besh Kungei to get an authentic experience of Kyrgyzstan, improve quickly at Russian, and learn about the local culture"
    Keshav
    Student, USA
News & Events
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How to join us?
Explore our programmes
Start by reading about our residency formats on the website and choose the programme that resonates with your current practice and situation (Standard Residency, No Project Residency, Barter Residency, etc.).
Submit your application
Send your application by email or through the application form indicated on the programme page.
Applications are accepted year-round.
Review & dialogue
We review applications carefully and may follow up with questions or suggest a short conversation to clarify expectations, timing, and format.
This stage is about mutual fit.
Confirmation & deposit
If accepted, we confirm:
  • residency dates
  • programme format
  • duration and fee
Payment is made at the beginning of your stay.
For longer stays, payment is made at the beginning of each month.
Welcome kit & arrival coordination
Before your arrival, you will receive a Bulbul Welcome Kit with practical information and preparation details.
If needed, we can also arrange a meeting at Manas International Airport (Bishkek) or provide clear instructions for independent arrival.
Airport meeting or transfer options are discussed individually in advance and depend on arrival time and availability.
Beginning of a journey
Upon arrival, we take time to help you settle in and gently introduce you to the space, the working rhythm, and the surrounding context.
There is no formal opening — the residency begins quietly, through presence and orientation.
Prices
The residency fee depends on the duration of stay, the chosen programme, and the level of curatorial or production support required.
For reference, the following guide can be used to estimate the approximate cost:
Self-Directed Residency
€35/day
  • 2 weeks: €450
  • 1 month: €850 (best value / recommended)
  • Includes: accommodation (private room), access to a shared 50 m² studio (2–3 residents), basic utilities, Wi-Fi, and an assigned work zone.
Curated Support
from €70/week
  • Optional add-on. The cost of curated support may increase depending on the scope of requests (e.g., extended coordination, additional meetings, research planning, special introductions, production assistance). The exact fee is calculated after the application form is received.
Additional Room
(for family members)
€25 per night, per room
  • Optional add-on. If an extra room is required for accompanying family members, an additional fee of €25 per night, per room applies (subject to availability).
Bulbul at a Glance
Under Development

Life in Kyrgyzstan
Landscape, villages, roads, buildings
Author of the photos: Syinat Zholdosheva and @Freepik.com
Bulbul Gallery
Small editions and objects created in and around Bulbul Art-Residence.
For purchases and shipping, contact us.
Bulbul on YouTube
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel
Subscribe to our YouTube channel, where we share everyday life at Bulbul Art-Residence — resident processes, workshops, conversations, and behind-the-scenes moments from the residency.

🎬 Videos about artistic practice, craft, and life in a rural context.
Birdish Life
The Living Painting is an ongoing collective artwork initiated at Bulbul Art-Residence. The project began with an unfinished oil painting left by one of our resident artists, Gracey Zhang. Rather than completing it in a single, final gesture, we decided to treat the canvas as a living space — one that can be continued, transformed, and re-imagined over time by many artists.
Each resident is invited to contribute to the this painting, carefully adding their own layer, intervention, or response. The work evolves slowly, through multiple hands, perspectives, and moments.
There is no fixed endpoint.
Learn more.
Feel free to contact us
Phone / Whatsapp: +996 705 530328
Email: syinatzholdosheva@gmail.com
WhatsApp - +99670553328
Phone - +99670553328
Instagram -@bulbul_artresidence/
Email - syinatzholdosheva@gmail.com
Webpage: bulbul.org.kg/syinatzholdosheva
Since 2023
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