ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Bukhara Biennale Debuts in Uzbekistan as Heritage-Focused Contemporary Art Event

festival-fair · 2026-03-29

The inaugural Bukhara Biennale, titled 'Recipes for Broken Hearts,' took place from September 5 to November 20, 2025, in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Organized as the first major contemporary art exhibition in Uzbekistan and Central Asia, it aimed to enhance the region's cultural profile. The event featured nearly two hundred participants, including artists and local artisans, with commissions created specifically for the biennale. Participants came from Uzbekistan, other Central Asian nations, and international locations such as Brazil, China, Japan, India, the Gulf states, and the European Union. The biennale was curated by American curator Diana Campbell, known for her work with the Dhaka Art Summit and her 'soft curating' approach emphasizing care and collaboration. Funding was provided by state cultural foundations, the Bukhara regional government, national heritage agencies, and private sponsors linked to tourism and real estate. The event utilized historic sites like caravanserais and madrasas as exhibition spaces, blending contemporary installations with traditional architecture. While praised for its organizational success and focus on craftsmanship, the biennale faced criticism for avoiding direct engagement with Uzbekistan's Soviet past, regional conflicts, and language politics. Specific works addressed themes like the Korean diaspora in Central Asia and the destruction in Gaza, but local historical traumas, such as Soviet-era bombardments of Bukhara, were largely omitted. The biennale reflects Uzbekistan's state-led cultural diplomacy efforts, including institutions like the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent, positioning art as part of a 'creative economy.'

Key facts

  • First Bukhara Biennale held September 5–November 20, 2025
  • Nearly 200 participants including artists and artisans
  • Curated by Diana Campbell with 'soft curating' approach
  • Funded by state agencies and private tourism-linked sponsors
  • Exhibitions installed in historic Silk Road sites in Bukhara
  • Focused on themes of heartbreak and healing through art
  • Critiqued for avoiding Soviet-era and regional political issues
  • Part of Uzbekistan's cultural diplomacy and creative economy initiatives

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation
  • Republic of Uzbekistan State Committee for Tourism Development
  • Centre for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent
  • National Museum of Uzbekistan
  • Bukhara Art Museum
  • Dhaka Art Summit
  • Arts and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF)
  • UNESCO
  • Samdani Art Foundation
  • Margilan Crafts Development Centre
  • Gidree Bawlee Foundation for the Arts
  • Venice Biennale
  • Wyndham
  • Mercure
  • ArtAsiaPacific
  • Slavs and Tatars
  • Abdullo Narzullaev
  • Hylozoic/Desires
  • Frieze Projects
  • Desert X Coachella
  • Canvas
  • Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF)
  • Margilan Craft Development Centre
  • Caravane Earth
  • Bukhara Biennial
  • Uzbekistan Art and Cultural Development Foundation (ACDF)
  • Waiwai
  • Heenat Salma Farm
  • Pakui Hardware
  • ARTMargins Online
  • Bukhara Biennale
  • waiwai (studio)
  • waiwai

Locations

  • Bukhara, Uzbekistan
  • Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  • Central Asia
  • Gaza
  • Palestine
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Bukhara
  • Uzbekistan
  • Venice
  • Italy
  • Tashkent
  • Samarkand
  • Paris
  • France
  • Dhaka
  • Bangladesh
  • Margilan
  • Brazil
  • Colombia
  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Kemerovo
  • Russia
  • Congo
  • Sudan
  • Ukraine
  • Qatar
  • Indonesia
  • Yemen
  • Lisbon
  • Portugal
  • Singapore
  • China
  • United States
  • Kyrgyz Republic
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Abu Dhabi
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Sharjah
  • Shanghai
  • São Paulo
  • White House
  • Washington D.C.
  • Aral Sea
  • Shah Rud
  • Rashid Madrasa
  • Gavkushon Madrasa
  • Khoja Kalon
  • Germany
  • Korea
  • Egypt
  • Lithuania
  • South Africa
  • Australia
  • Pakistan
  • Afghanistan
  • Lebanon
  • Turkey
  • USA
  • Ghana
  • Sierra Leone
  • Canada
  • UK
  • South Korea
  • Netherlands
  • Mongolia
  • India
  • Jordan
  • Belgium
  • Sweden
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • UAE
  • Republic of Dagestan
  • Croatia
  • Mexico
  • Bahamas
  • Morocco
  • Silk Road
  • Asia
  • Africa
  • Latin America
  • Khoja-Gavkushon Ensemble
  • Caravanserraglio di Ayozjon
  • Caravanserraglio di Ulugbek Tamokifurush
  • Caravanserraglio di Ahmadjon
  • Caravanserraglio di Fothullajon
  • Madrasa Rashid

Sources

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