Alsu Akhmetzyanova

Biography

Alsu Akhmetzyanova is an independent curator and art manager from Uzbekistan working across contemporary art, crafts and cultural heritage. Her most recent work includes serving as Assistant Curator for the first Uzbekistan Pavilion at the London Design Biennale 2025, where she developed curatorial storytelling, research, and international coordination under the theme The Once and Future Garden. 

Previously, Alsu worked at the Arts and Culture Development Foundation under the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan, where she was Project Manager of the country’s first National Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, and later headed the Education Department. At the Foundation, Alsu oversaw major cultural initiatives – including the establishment of Uzbekistan’s first Centre for Contemporary Art, and professional development programmes in partnership with Goldsmith’s University and the Smithsonian Institute.

As an independent curator, Alsu continues to collaborate with artists and institutions on research-based and cross-disciplinary projects. Beyond her curatorial practice, Alsu is known for her art blog on Instagram @alsuinwonderland where she documents exhibitions and artistic life across Central Asia – promoting accessible conversations about art and culture for a wider audience.

At the British Museum

During her time on the International Training Programme Alsu was based in the Middle East Department and her partner placement was spent at Glasgow Museums.

In 2019 participants were asked to plan and propose a temporary exhibition around an object from the Museum’s collection working within the theme of journeys.  Alsu worked with Catalina Cavelier Adarve (Colombia) on her Object in focus project. Their exhibition proposal was titled Eternal Provision for the Soul: celebrating life in ancient Egypt.

Alsu’s place on the International Training Programme was generously supported by the Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Charitable Trust.

Legacy Projects

In 2020 Alsu conducted an Online Subject Specialist Session for the International Training Programme. Alsu led a session titled The Samarkand Half Marathon, Cultural Accessibility and ‘Going Digital’ during COVID-19

Alsu also attended these online sessions in 2020:
Collecting COVID-19
Egyptology in Lockdown: Connecting collections with isolated people
Setting up a Subject Specialist Network

In November 2022 Alsu participated in an ITP legacy project based on the Museums Association Conference held in Edinburgh.