Behind every celebrated artwork lies an intricate business ecosystem. From galleries that cultivate artists' careers to auction houses that shape market value, the art world is driven by a complex network of institutions, collectors, and economic forces. This article explores how the global art market operates—and why understanding its business is essential to understanding art itself.

In this conversation, curator Inga Lāce reflects on her path through international art institutions, from New York to Central Asia, and the evolving role of curating as a practice of connection. Speaking about cultural visibility, artistic research, and the Venice Biennale, she describes curating as a way of building bridges—between regions, histories, and people—shaped as much by timing and context as by intention.

At this year’s Venice Biennale, art and politics appear increasingly intertwined as national pavilions, curators, and visitors navigate a global backdrop of conflict and debate. Protests, public discussions, and politically charged exhibitions have shaped how works are experienced across the exhibition spaces. In contemporary art criticism, the idea that “the idea that art can remain neutral or separate from politics is a fiction” is often cited, reflecting ongoing questions

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan brought three of the most assured pavilions at the 61st Venice Biennale — rooted in landscape, memory, and myth, and entirely on their own terms.