Artists and cultural managers Gulnara and Muratbek co-founded ArtEast. They have participated in numerous international exhibitions and biennials. As founders of ArtEast (2002), they curated Bishkek International Exhibitions of Contemporary Art (2005-2008), a project of ArtEast School for Contemporary Art (2009-2019), and public art festivals Art Prospect-Bishkek (2017-2018).

Muratbek Djumaliev participated as an expert at the Art Prospect Intensive in Socially Engaged Art, Odesa–Chisinau (2019).

They have received the Prince Claus Award, Amsterdam (2010) and were nominated for Artes Mundi 4, Wales International Visual Art Exhibition and Prize, National Museum Cardiff (2010).