Sara Raza to Helm Tashkent’s Centre for Contemporary Art
By ANNETTE MEIER
Portrait of SARA RAZA. Courtesy the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, Tashkent.
On January 16, the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) announced London-born curator, writer, and educator Sara Raza as the artistic director and chief curator of the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) in Tashkent. Slated to open in September, the CCA is an ACDF initiative that will serve as a global arts and culture platform offering artists and designers the opportunity to connect through residencies, exhibitions, workshops, and educational programs.
Currently based in New York, Raza has curated exhibitions at major institutions worldwide, including the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, as well as the Rubin Museum of Art and the International Center of Photography in New York. Previously, she was the Guggenheim UBS MAP Global Art Initiative curator for the Middle East and North Africa, with further curatorial experiences spanning Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe.
In her new role, Raza will spearhead the CCA’s creative mission to promote cultural and educational partnerships while supporting regional and international artists in their engagement with Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage.
In a press release, Raza said: “It is an honor to be invited to lead the artistic and creative vision for the [CCA] in Tashkent,” adding that the role “holds deep personal and professional significance” due to her “roots in the Greater Iran region, including ancient Uzbekistan.”
Annette Meier is an editorial assistant at ArtAsiaPacific.
