Total Theater

• Prize
  Silver in Book/Monograph
• Photographer
  Anatoly Suzdaltsev, Kazakhstan
• Website
  https://suzdaltsev.art
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/vogeltorn

Twenty-five years ago, I attended a drama school and came quite close to becoming an actor. Although I made a different life choice, that experience significantly influenced my personality. In 2023, I embarked on a project-investigation, returning to the theater environment — this time as an external observer. I aimed to reevaluate my experiences and memories. In this book, the boundary between the audience and the stage, between what happens before and after the performance, becomes blurred. This project was captured at the experimental theater ‘Total Theater’ in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Anatoly Suzdaltsev is a visual artist and photographer. Born in 1980 in the South Ural, he is currently based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He is currently a student at the Fotografika Academy. Anatoly creates enigmatic visual worlds by blending documentary and art photography, weaving together objective reality with fictional narratives and imagined characters. His main focus lies in urban and art photography. He explores liminal spaces across Central Asia, working with 35mm film and a small handheld scanner to document surface textures.

Awards Awards, Nominations & Exhibitions:
2025 Shortlist OFF LIBRIS, Slovakia.
2025 Honorable mention at FotoSlovo Award 2025.
2025 Exhibition at 'GAKA gallery', Kazakhstan.
2024 Bronze medal at FotoSlovo Award 2024.
2024 2d ranked URBAN Book & Zine Award, Italy.
2024 BIFA Winner Special - Night Photography, Hungary
2024 Special Mention 'Tokyo International Foto Awards 2024', Japan
2024 Finalist 'Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards', Malaysia.
2024 Personal exhibition 'Total Theater' at 'Dialogues' festival, Kazakhstan.
2024 Group exhibition 'Humans Landscapes', Loosenart, Italy.
2024 BBA 'Photography Prize' longlist, Germany.
2024 Group exhibition 'Short cut Festival', Serbia.
2024 Group exhibition 'Rotterdam Photo Festival 2024 – Imagine', Netherlands.
2024 Group exhibition '2nd B&W Athens Photography Festival', Greece.
2024 Honorable Mention 'Monochrome Photography Awards'.
2024 Analog Sparks Winner - Bronze.
2024 Group exhibition 'Night on earth' at 'Dom36', Kazakhstan.
2023 Special mentions 'Urbanautica Institute Awards' 2023, 2024
2023 Finalist 'Gomma Grant', UK.
2023 Nominee at 'BBA One Shot Award', Germany.
2023 Editors’ Picks at LensCulture - 'Black And White Photography Awards'.
2023 Group exhibition 'Night Photography' at 'Blank Wall Gallery', Greece.

Zines and Books:
2025 Book 'Total Theater', selfpublished
2024 Zine 'On Orbit' (Visual Diary), selfpublished
2023 Zine 'Night on Earth', selfpublished
Collections: Zone of the Zine, GARAGE, NIZINA, SHKAF, Asia Art Archive, Carlos Fontes library.

Publications:
2025 Musee Magazine, Flash Fiction
2025, 2024 F-Stop Magazine, Issues #124, #127, #128, #130
2024 Float Photo Magazine. Issue 'Imperfect Poetry'
2024 Al-Tiba9 Art Magazine, Issue #15
2023 Dodho online, 'Night on Earth'

Education:
2025 Book typography & Font design, 'Sholotch'
2022-2025 Art & Documental Photography, Academy 'Fotografika'
1997-2002 Electronic Design, South Ural State University.