Uzbekistan’s first permanent contemporary art institution has opened in a historic 1912 building in Tashkent, transforming a former tram depot and diesel power station into a new cultural hub for the region.
CCA Tashkent opened to the public on 6 September as a project of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation.
The centre is located in the heart of Tashkent in a historic building dating to 1912. The site previously served as a tram depot and diesel power station before its transformation into a contemporary arts centre.
CCA Tashkent is designed to go beyond a traditional exhibition space. Its programme includes exhibitions, artist residencies, research and educational initiatives, alongside lectures, panel discussions, concerts, performances and film screenings.
The centre also aims to support artists from Uzbekistan while creating opportunities for international cooperation. Its activities are intended to connect the local art scene with international artists, researchers and curators.
The centre’s inaugural exhibition, Hikmah, is curated by Dr Sarah Raza. Taking its name from the Arabic word for “wisdom”, the exhibition brings together works that explore the relationship between local traditions, spiritual heritage and contemporary artistic practices.
Participating artists include Muhannad Shono, Nari Ward, Shohruh Rakhimov, Tarik Kiswanson, Kimsooja, Ali Cherri and Nadia Kaabi-Linke.
The exhibition also features works by Vladimir Pan, Daribay Saipov and Bakhtiyar Saipov from the collection of the I.V. Savitsky State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Karakalpakstan.
CCA Tashkent’s first international exhibition, Instruments of the Mind, is on show at Palazzo Franchetti in Venice as an official parallel project of the 61st Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art.
The exhibition focuses on the work of Vyacheslav Akhunov, a pioneer of Central Asian contemporary art, and is scheduled to remain open until 22 November 2026.
The project reflects the centre’s broader goal of bringing Uzbek and Central Asian artistic practices to international audiences.
CCA Tashkent is also expanding its residency programme beyond the capital, with a new programme in Samarkand set to begin in September alongside its existing residencies in Tashkent.
While the Tashkent programmes focus primarily on creating new works of art, the Samarkand residency will focus on research, interdisciplinary exchange and engagement with the city’s historical and cultural heritage.
CCA Tashkent forms part of a wider effort by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation to expand the country’s cultural infrastructure and strengthen international cultural cooperation.
The Foundation has described the centre as a platform for new artistic projects, international partnerships and cultural exchange, with activities spanning Tashkent and Samarkand.
Read more:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of a deadly drone strike on a Türkiye-owned cargo ship in the Black Sea, killing it...
Regional powers gathered in Moscow on Monday for talks on Afghanistan, focusing on security, economic cooperation and Kabul’s relations with ...
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan held talks in Tehran on Monday on bilateral ties and efforts t...
Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, with Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), appointed as acting oil minister, according to Iranian state media.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
Candidates elected to Bosnia and Herzegovina's three-member presidency declared victory after preliminary unofficial results showed Denis Becirovic leading the Bosniak seat, Darijana Filipovic ahead in the Croat seat and Zeljka Cvijanovic likely retaining the Serb seat.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States meets seven conditions agreed under a June memorandum, as President Donald Trump signals he may soon decide whether to resume military operations against Tehran.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
Regional powers gathered in Moscow on Monday for talks on Afghanistan, focusing on security, economic cooperation and Kabul’s relations with its neighbours.
Four major German political foundations have halted their work in Georgia as tighter rules on foreign grants put pressure on a decades-old partnership and add to tensions between Tbilisi and its European partners.
The U.S. has deployed two additional Patriot missile batteries to the Gulf, protecting key energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar as Washington expands its military presence in the Middle East amid heightened tensions with Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan held talks in Tehran on Monday on bilateral ties and efforts to strengthen peace and security in the South Caucasus.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry says it has conveyed its initial position to the United States through Qatar over Washington’s response to Tehran’s seven-day plan aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment