October 22, 2026

Words: Robert McKelvey

This Exhibit Ushers In A New Era For Contemporary Arts In Uzbekistan And Beyond

With the opening of Uzbekistan’s new Centre for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent, the city’s Soviet-era tram depot and diesel station has been transformed into Central Asia’s first dedicated institution for contemporary art, research, and community engagement.

Envisioned by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), this striking piece of architectural heritage—originally built in 1912—has been carefully renovated and restructured by French firm Studio KO. Traditional Uzbek concrete and tiles preserve the building’s vernacular appearance, while the interior has become a flexible, modern space fit for its new purpose. The main diesel station has been converted into a central exhibition space, while the administrative hub has been turned into a library and bookshop.

“Uzbekistan now has a permanent place for contemporary art, where culture is produced, not merely displayed,” ACDF Chairperson Gayane Umerova told Interior Design. “I’m so delighted with what we have created with the help of local and international artists, artisans and partners.”

Gallery interior with speckled stone walls and flooring, featuring sculptural pedestals, a long display platform, and a circular bronze base beneath a curved staircase.
Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent (CCA Tashkent). Untitled (Carved wooden column 1978-9) by Daribay Saipov and Untitled (1981) by Vladimir Pan. Courtesy of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) and Andrey Arakelyan.

The opening was joined by that of CCA’s debut exhibition, “Hikmah.” Curated by artistic director Sara Raza, and named for the Uzbek word for wisdom, this showcase highlights the rich history of the CCA’s new home, in dialogue with new and recent works—created by artists from throughout Central Asia and the Middle East—that directly interface with Tashkent and its legacy. Together, these works explore notions of insight, intelligence and divine wisdom, juxtaposed against modernist masterpieces by renowned Uzbek artists—including Vladimir Pan, Daribay Saipov and Bakhtiyar Saipov—loaned from the Savitsky Museum in Nukus.

“We felt that it was important to open the CCA Tashkent with an exhibition deeply rooted in Uzbekistan, while being in conversation with the world,” said Umerova. “That is exactly what ‘Hikmah’ is. Highlights include Muhannad Shono’s ‘Tower for a Single Breath’, created during his residency at the centre, and Nari Ward’s ‘Tashkent Grounding’, which draws on local craft traditions, found materials, and copper patina to echo the former power station’s past.”

Highlights From The Hikmah Exhibit At The Uzbekistan Centre for Contemporary Arts

  • Large, empty industrial-style hall with exposed rafters, brick walls, arched windows, and a polished concrete floor.
    Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent (CCA Tashkent). Flying Carpets (2011) by Nadia Kaabi-Linke. Courtesy of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) and Andrey Arakelyan.
  • Seven sculptural spheres with varied patterns and colors, each mounted on a short pedestal, arranged on a circular platform.
    Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent (CCA Tashkent). The Colour of Silence, In Search of Truth (2026) by Shokhrukh Rakhimov. Courtesy of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) and Timur Epov.
  • An art installation featuring an overturned blue wheelbarrow surrounded by stacks of bricks on a tiled floor.
    Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent (CCA Tashkent). Tashkent Groundin (2026) by Nari Ward. Courtesy of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) and Andrey Arakelyan.
  • Two sculptural hands emerge from behind a row of bricks within a brick-walled alcove.
    Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent (CCA Tashkent). A Mouth, A Wound (2025) by Ali Cherri. Courtesy of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) and Timur Epov.

‘Hikmah’ will run until January 31, 2027.

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