Saodat Ismailova's First Italian Solo Show at Pirelli HangarBicocca

Saodat Ismailova's exhibition 'A Seed Under Our Tongue' at Pirelli HangarBicocca in Milan presents twelve works, including videos, sculptures, and textiles, that explore the artist's Uzbek heritage and post-Soviet identity. The show features site-specific commissions such as the video 'Arslanbob' (2023-24) and the gold sculpture 'Amanat' (2024), a life-sized date seed. The exhibition space was redesigned by the artist in collaboration with Grace architecture studio. Key works include 'Stains of Oxus' (2016), filmed on the Amu Darya river, documenting dreams of locals and the landscape's transformation due to Soviet irrigation; 'The Haunted' (2017), about the extinct Turan tiger; and 'Chillahona' (2022), a video installation with embroidery, previously shown at the 2022 Venice Biennale. The show also includes 'Talosh' (2024) with poetry by Jontemir Jondor, and 'As we Fade' (2024) with archival footage on hand-woven silk panels. The exhibition is part of a series of solo shows at HangarBicocca's Shed space curated by Vicente Todolí, featuring international artists like Dineo Seshee Bopape, Anicka Yi, and Chiara Camoni.