Gayane Umerova, Head of the Department for Creative Economy and Tourism of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, took part in the Art Basel Conversations as part of the first edition of Art Basel Qatar.

She spoke at the panel discussion “Rubaiya, Bukhara and Jaou: New Platforms, New Possibilities”, held at M7 – Msheireb.

The panel discussion was organized as part of the public program Qatar Creates Talks × Art Basel Conversations and brought together representatives of leading cultural institutions from Qatar, Uzbekistan, and Tunisia to discuss new formats for biennales and cultural platforms that are shaping alternative models of exhibition activities and public engagement with art.

The discussion also featured Sheikha Alanood Al Thani, Director of the Rubaiya Qatar; Lina Lazaar, founder of the Jaou Tunis Biennial and Vice President of the Kamel Lazaar Foundation, and was moderated by Amir Berbić, Dean of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts in Qatar.

Bukhara Biennial presented as a new institutional model

During the discussion, the Bukhara Biennial was presented as an example of a new institutional model based on long-term development, engagement with the local context, and the sustainable integration of urban space.

It was noted that the biennial operates entirely on a commission-based model: all artworks are created specifically for the project and produced in Uzbekistan, drawing on Bukhara’s architectural heritage, craft traditions, and contemporary social processes.

Biennial projects are integrated into the urban environment – on streets, in courtyards, and within madrasahs, mosques, and historic caravanserais – enabling broader access to culture and rethinking the role of art beyond traditional institutional spaces.

The first Bukhara Biennial, held from September to November 2025, attracted more than 1.8 million visitors and served as the launch of a large-scale program to revitalize the historic city, including the creation of a Cultural District and the restoration of landmark heritage sites for long-term public use.

The Global South as a space for artistic innovation

Speaking at the panel discussion, Gayane Umerova emphasized that some of the most innovative trends in contemporary art are emerging in countries of the Global South, where cultural memory, craftsmanship, and collective knowledge serve as active drivers of artistic practice.

In this context, the Bukhara Biennial was presented as part of a broader ecosystem of the Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan, which includes the Center for Contemporary Art in Tashkent, scheduled to open in March 2026, research programs, and international cooperation with organizations such as UNESCO.

UzA