In the photographic series, Mankurts in the Megapolis, Mukazhanova explores the popularity of the white wedding dress and the rapidly vanishing Kazakh wedding dress as one example of globalisation’s consequential loss of identity and cultural values. As the artist stresses: “the title of my project "Mankurts in the Megapolis" reflects this loss of traditional values, as well as the fact, that we have forgotten our origins.”

In Central Asia ‘mankurtism’ describes the loss of the national roots, the traditional values, and culture. Previously it referred to enslaved people, called Mankurts, who lost the memories of their past live after undergoing torture-like treatment. Today, this term describes people who have, consciously or unconsciously, adopted other cultural values. This loss of memory concerns manners, morals and even language, which are being replaced by other values. One of the causes of this phenomenon in our time is globalization.

The form of the modern wedding gown in a universally understood symbol. It is the most important and beautiful garment for most women in most countries. In earlier times, when each culture had its own original form of the bridal gown, it was able to show the immense wealth of ritual and cultural diversity. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the fashion of white bridalwear has been established almost all over the world, and many people regard it as a deeply rooted tradition.

Modern life in Kazakhstan, with its new sets of values, has become so natural that it seems almost impossible to connect with the ancient nomadic traditions; perhaps it would not even be suitable anymore. As the artist thoughtfully questions: “since we are no longer nomads, I would like to know, what should we keep and what should we give up, as a new generation? What do we need to keep in mind in this present process of change? If we want to keep certain traditions, it seems important to me to be able to believe in these traditions, and not just to imitate their exterior superficially, as it is often seen in the new designs of the Saukele, where the originally meaningful symbols have deteriorated to a primitive form of ornamentation. But at least, concerning those traditions that still exist today, we should appreciate the meaning and the wisdom, which they contain, and which has been passed on to us by our ancestors!”

Considering and reflecting upon all this, one wonders whether it makes any sense at all to deal with this issue, or if it would better to simply live in the flow of these events without thinking about them. However, according to Mukazhanova: “if we want to be able to meet this process of change quietly, without just being a part of the bulk, getting lost in uniformity, one of the essential factors within our thinking and feeling is, to know who we are!”