As part of the 60th Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art, the grand opening of the exhibition “Don’t Miss the Cue” took place in the national pavilion of Uzbekistan. The slogan “Foreigners Everywhere” was voiced by the biennale curator, Adriano Pedrosa.

The Center For Contemporary Art Tashkent curated the concept of the Uzbekistan pavilion. The Uzbek artist Aziza Kadyri prepared the project, and the Tashkent group of artists “Qizlar Collective” is working with her to create the exhibition.

The exhibition presents handmade works by suzani master Madina Kasymbaeva, made according to sketches by Aziza Kadyri.

The exhibition project “Don’t Miss the Cue” concept is directly related to the biennale’s stated theme.

The exhibition creates a backstage theater atmosphere inspired by the cultural centers throughout Eurasia at the beginning of the 20th century.

The theatrical setting comes to life with sculptures based on traditional costume designs and is complemented by audiovisual materials from a group of female artists. The project focuses on women’s stories, collective practices, and the complex relationship between the physical body and the surrounding world.

This year, the exhibition focuses on the interaction between technology and tradition. Hand-made suzani embroidery is reimagined with the help of artificial intelligence technology. Recognizable suzani patterns in artificial intelligence processing completely lose their original appearance and are virtually impossible to identify.

This approach not only reimagines traditional patterns, but also highlights cultural changes in the modern world.

The Center For Contemporary Art Tashkent is the exhibition’s curator for the first time.

Bekhruz Khudoyberdiyev, UzA