︎ KHABARSTAN. How much does propaganda cost?
The project is designed to attract the attention of younger taxpayers, and raise awareness of state control of the media in Kazakhstan, through an ironic portrayal of the situation in order to make it more understandable. The work is featured on a website, where users can explore the scale of Kazakhstan’s propaganda spending and sign a petition demanding the President abolish state financing of the media. There is also public page on Facebook and printed posters and stickers series to support campaign.
At the centre of the project is Khabarstan, the utopian place, that exists only in state TV newsfeed. In actual fact, Nazarbayev's Regime pumps $140m a year (taxpayer’s money) in order to sustain propaganda.
