How photographer Said Atabekov captures the spirit of Kazakhstan’s nomadic battle game in Dubai exhibition

His images, which are displayed at the Andakulova Gallery in Dubai, are about kokpar – a game that dates back to the time of Alexander the Great.

Wolves of The Steppes (Airborne Forces), displayed at 66lbs exhibition in Dubai. Courtesy Andakulova Gallery

The horses’ hooves kick up clods of thick mud and sweat runs down their bodies to form frothing rivers. The men astride them are in an equally ferocious battle, with whips in their hands, all straining and scrambling to reach the same target – a headless goat carcass.

This is the game of kokpar, an ancient nomadic tradition in Kazakhstan, which is revealed in an ongoing exhibition at Andakulova Gallery in Dubai.

With numerous players on each side, and hundreds of spectators, the game is a display of energy and strength by the horse and its rider. The goal is to drag the headless goat, which must weigh exactly 66lbs, across the finish line.

All of this is captured by Kazakh photographer Said Atabekov in the photographs on display at the exhibition.

The gallery’s curator, Irina Bourmistrova, says what is so special about the images is that they hark back to the battle scene, once a stalwart of contemporary-art images but long lost to generations.

“Battle scenes on horseback are almost extinct now in art, but that is because the horse is no longer considered significant as an implement of war,” she says.

“This exhibition reintroduces the battle scene, and the game of kokpar has its roots in warfare as it dates back to the time of Alexander the Great.”

As with artists in previous times where battle scenes were painted as an expression of masculine power, Atabekov also raises this issue, but rather than sitting in his studio to paint, he is there in the midst of the action with his camera.

The photographs are incredibly detailed and almost recapture the experience of being on the field with these men.

Not all were taken during the battle. Some are scenes before the game – when the men engage in communal prayer – and others are portraits of the riders, quiet and contemplative before the battle.

There is also an interesting series showing the clothing that the riders wear. Long gone are the battle uniforms – instead these men wear sports gear adorned with logos of brands and teams, bringing the scenes firmly into the 21st century.

“Atabekov portrays an ancient power game where both tribal and individual actions have more significance in understanding the dramatic games of power in the vastly changed local and global contexts of Central Asia since the end of the Soviet empire,” says Bourmistrova.

• 66lbs runs until May 12 at Andakulova Gallery, DIFC, Dubai. For more information, visit www.andakulova.com