ASTANA – The Saltanat Light project from Kazakhstan, which uses artificial intelligence to track and visualize domestic violence cases in real-time, won a Silver Lion at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity on June 16-20, announced Citix and GForce Grey, the project’s developers.
Photo credit: Citix
The project was recognized in the Real-Time Contextual Content category.
Launched in April, Saltanat Light centers around a striking neon sign bearing the name Saltanat, installed in Almaty. The sign flashes every time a new case of domestic violence is recorded. The same signal is broadcast simultaneously across more than 100 digital screens nationwide.
This is a special moment for the Citix and GForce Grey team, as a story born in Kazakhstan has received a response from the world’s most influential creative scene.
“May the light of Saltanat never flicker,” the team wrote in an Instagram post.
The project is named in memory of Saltanat Nukenova, who was murdered by her husband and former minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev. In May 2024, he was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
In April 2025, Kazakhstan adopted landmark legislation criminalizing domestic abuse. The Saltanat Light project continues to reflect ongoing changes in national statistics and public consciousness.
