Saodat Ismailova Presents Environmental Film Installation at Portikus in Frankfurt

Saodat Ismailova has created a new film installation titled 'When the Water Turns to Wind' specifically for Portikus in Frankfurt. The work continues her examination of Central Asian history and culture, focusing on the environmental degradation of the Aral Sea. Once among the world's largest inland lakes, the Aral Sea has fragmented into smaller water bodies due to extensive drying over decades, representing a significant human-caused ecological catastrophe. Ismailova's practice combines ceremonial practices, folklore, and visionary elements with ordinary existence. Her central theme involves voids—vanishing wisdom, evaporated lakes, and extinct species. She believes these losses continue to influence the collective memory of Turkestan, a historical region spanning from the Caspian Sea to the Gobi Desert that connected various cultures, languages, and faiths. In this installation, the camera traces the Aral Sea's boundaries and investigates terrains where aquatic environments have been replaced by desert conditions. Rather than presenting documentary footage, the piece conveys change and loss through sensory immersion. Sound design, created in collaboration with composer Marc Parazon, plays a crucial role. The work references specific sites to engage with wider political and environmental issues, particularly water extraction linked to cotton production and its historical global connections. Ismailova's approach contrasts exploitative practices by emphasizing alternative connections to terrain and recollection, utilizing indigenous wisdom, legends, and dreams to address universal themes. The exhibition runs through May 10, 2026.