New Biennale to Open in Uzbekistan in 2025
By Camilla Alvarez-Chow
The Caravanserai Ahmadjon in Bukhara. Courtesy Rafal Sliwa and the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation.
The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) has announced the launch of the Bukhara Biennial, slated for September 5, 2025, in Bukhara, a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art. Titled “Recipes for Broken Hearts,” the inaugural event will mark the country’s first major international biennale—and one of the largest in Central Asiaj to date.
Commissioned by Gayane Umerova and curated by Los Angeles-based artistic director Diana Campbell, the biennial will feature interdisciplinary practices such as visual arts, culinary and performance art, textiles, crafts, music, dance, and architecture. Regional and international artists and artisans are set to participate, including Indian artist Subodh Gupta, Mongolian sculptor and installation artist Bekhbaatar Enkhtur, Korean-Uzbek multidisciplinary artist Daria Kim, and Uzbek artist Gulnoza Irgasheva.
The theme of “Recipes for Broken Hearts” refers to the legendary origins of the Uzbek national rice dish, plov, which was supposedly invented by philosopher and physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna) for a prince who suffered from a broken heart. Taking inspiration from this tale, the biennial will explore food as a means to build connections by inviting local and international chefs to participate. These artisans will bring various culinary traditions to reflect on Bukhara’s historic role in the global spice trade, looking at time as a key ingredient in art, cooking, and healing.
Led by commissioner Gayane Umerova, the Bukhara Biennial is organized by the ACDF, which promotes and preserves Uzbek art and culture through national and international initiatives. The biennial is set to run for ten weeks, until November 20, 2025, across sites such as the Fayzulla Khodjaev House Museum, the Miri Arab Madrasah, Magoki Attori Mosque, and the Kalyan Minaret, among others. The full list of programs, guest curators, artists, and chefs has yet to be announced.
Camilla Alvarez-Chow is an editorial assistant at ArtAsiaPacific.
