Fund for Development of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan takes part in the Design Miami / Basel international exhibition

The Foundation for the Development of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan is participating in the sixteenth Design Miami/Basel exhibition, organized from June 14 to 19 in Basel, Switzerland.

Miami/Basel (DM/B) is the premier trade show with more than 30 international galleries and designers. It brings people together through unusual collectible designs, architectural projects and public discussions, and runs in parallel with the Art Basel exhibition.

The works of art presented by our country to the world community are designed by the French architectural bureau Studio KO., and demonstrate the architectural concept of the renovation of the Center for Contemporary Art in Tashkent.

In more detail, within the framework of the special projects section, visitors will get acquainted with the concept of renovating a 1912 building in Tashkent, which was originally built of brick and was used as a diesel power plant that supplied the first tram line in the capital of Uzbekistan.

“The Center for Contemporary Art is one of the key elements of the cultural infrastructure of the Republic of Uzbekistan. We are pleased to partner with a cutting-edge architecture studio with a portfolio of international projects and experience in developing interesting concepts with respect for local traditions and national heritage. Together we will create a place of attraction for culture, a platform for the implementation of our many initiatives, which will allow the creative community of Tashkent to flourish,” said Saida Mirziyoyeva, Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Fund for the Development of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan.

“Contemporary cultural institutions are complex ecosystems designed to meet the needs of artists and different categories of visitors. Our collaboration with Studio KO will make the Center for Contemporary Art an inclusive space where practitioners from various disciplines can express themselves and share their creativity with visitors from Uzbekistan and around the world. The project of the Center, located in a historic building in Tashkent, is being developed taking into account the latest achievements in the field of technology and sustainable development, it will contribute to the creation of an environmentally friendly and innovative culture environment in Uzbekistan,” said Gayane Umerova, executive director of the Fund for the Development of Culture and Art of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Studio KO founders Carl Fournier and Olivier Marty talked about how their collaboration with the Foundation began.

 “In 2020, the Foundation turned to Studio KO with a proposal to convert the former diesel power plant in Tashkent into a Center for Contemporary Art. The building, which will serve the local residents, turned out to be an interesting example of industrial architecture, we were curious to imagine what functions it could perform and how to achieve the required result in a short time, since the city is in great need of such a space. The client emphasized the importance of contrast and color for the culture of Uzbekistan, and gradually we realized that the final layout must balance all the numerous requirements. In our project, we tried to find a graceful way to reflect the contrast of the environment, using softness to talk about the clash of eras and techniques. Metal seemed to be the most suitable material for us - it can be melted, it can be cut, a kind of fire magic in action, ”said the Founders of Studio KO .

For your information, the Center for Contemporary Art was established at the initiative of the Fund for the Development of Culture and Art of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It first opened in 2019 and has become the center of attraction for the artistic life of Tashkent. After the reconstruction of the historical building, it will become the first center of its kind in the country, the center of the cultural, architectural and historical landscape of the city. The CCA will host exhibitions, lectures, open discussions and meetings with invited artists and curators that will shape the diverse cultural life in Tashkent.

Also, the Fund will create art residences in several historical quarters of the city - mahallas. Workshops will be created there to work with various disciplines and areas, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, new media, cinema and 3D printing, and as part of the educational program, special programs for the professional development of artists will be launched in the main building of the Center.

The residences will be a place of dialogue between the past, present and future, a space where contemporary art and traditional crafts interact and nourish each other. After the renovation, the Center for Contemporary Art in Tashkent will enrich the creative environment of the city and create a comfortable urban space, stimulate the development of interregional and international creative ties and help preserve the individual cultural environment of the city.