In 1972, Documenta 5 was heralded as the institutional embrace of conceptual art in Europe. At nearly the same time, in Indonesia, a generation of artists living through massive societal unrest—without any access to the European avant-garde

Kazakhstan continues to face a complex political landscape under President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the country’s first and only post-Soviet leader, who has attracted widespread criticism for his policies. 

In November, Mongolia elected a new prime minister after the former one failed to improve the declining economy. Although it possesses substantial mineral deposits, Mongolia has struggled to convert them into economic gain

Since the end of a 26-year civil war between the government and Tamil separatists in May 2009, Sri Lanka has had one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with significant development in tourism. 

Syria’s civil war shows no sign of ending. The year 2014 saw United States-led military intervention in response to the rise of Daesh (the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), a sign of the increasingly international nature of the struggle.

The only Pacific nation never to have been colonized, Tonga transitioned to a constitutional monarchy in 2010. The Ministry of Education, Women’s Affairs and Culture organizes public cultural programs

The ruling Communist Party has presided over a rapidly growing economy since market-oriented reforms in the late 1980s, yet social liberalization was not part of the package. Censorship of cultural and political dissent is still enforced by stringent laws. 

I am an artist. Usually I make artwork, but from August 1 to November 3 of this year I served as the artistic director of the 2014 Yokohama Triennale. 

This section of the Almanac is a precious opportunity to celebrate the publications that have given us the greatest pleasure over the last year.