Special report from the presentation of the “Tashkent: Mastering Modernism” project

Uzbekistan attracts the attention of the world community with its unique customs, rich history, and culture. This is evidenced by successfully demonstrating the country’s cultural heritage at various international events and exhibitions.

The National Pavilion of Uzbekistan was opened at the Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2023, along with the exhibition pavilions of many countries.

A project organized by the Art and Culture Development Foundation on “Tashkent: Mastering Modernism” took place here, which involves studying the influence of modernism on the architecture of the capital.

This time, the Uzbekistan delegation is presenting at the exhibition three buildings built in the mid-70s – the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan, the Samarkand teahouse, and the Zarafshan restaurant. These objects were included in a series of major events held in Milan and Tashkent as part of the heritage conservation research project “Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI”.

Project coordinator Wael Al Awar, an architect and co-founder of the Waiwai Bureau, which has offices in Tokyo and Dubai, explained why these three buildings attracted him. They were built in 1974-1976, became the property of the city, and over the past decades have changed. This means that the goal is to discuss the continuity chain connecting history and the future, the traditions of architecture and modernism.

“The presented three buildings, which embodied the rich traditions of the national architecture of Uzbekistan, show that in the second half of the 20th century, traditional style collided with modernism, other materials began to be used, and as a result, voluminous and luxurious buildings appeared”, says Wael Al Awar. “What should we preserve today – the original modernist structure or the interpretation with folk elements? Each architectural solution has its characteristics. Research related to these three structures will formulate an appropriate vision”.

Visitors to the pavilion can observe characteristic architectural elements common to these three buildings. The appearance of each structure, their original appearance, and condition after changes in the facade and interior design are presented.

In the pavilion, we talked with Tashkent artist, designer, and architect Anakhit Qayumova about international cooperation, her views, and unique works of art. The young specialist works with different textures to decorate buildings, use historical and modern photographs, combine buildings’ original and modified appearance, and create new ornaments and patterns. Foreign experts highly appreciated her works.

“Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI” is a large-scale research project commissioned by the Art and Culture Development Foundation. The project coordinator was the Milanese architectural studio “Grace” under the leadership of its co-founder, art critic Ekaterina Golovatyuk. Research conducted by experts on the historical layer of the above three buildings in the modernist style in the capital calls on people to be more careful and preserve our architectural heritage.

In short, the Sharjah exhibition is an integral part of a large-scale mission. Visitors can get acquainted with the modernist architecture of Tashkent, a unique artistic, cultural, and social phenomenon, and expand their knowledge about specific buildings.

Participants of the event will learn interesting historical information and visit a rich exposition of 26 countries. According to the program, artists and architects are holding workshops on creating production equipment and using environmentally friendly resources.

The exhibition opened on November 11, 2023, and will run until March 10, 2024. In our following reports, we will try to provide new information about the presentation of our historical buildings and record the opinions and suggestions of foreign tourists and specialists.

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Bekhruz Khudoyberdiyev, photos by Shavkat Tokhirov, UzA

Sharjah, UAE