On October 3, Tamyr Central Asia Art Lab will host Community Day in Tashkent, a one-day program of gatherings and discussions dedicated to Uzbekistan’s contemporary art and professional networks across Central Asia. The event is part of Tamyr Art Scene, an initiative aimed at fostering the regional art community.
The Tashkent program will bring together artists, researchers, and art critics across generations. Participants will explore how Uzbekistan's art scene is shifting today, examine the relationship between contemporary art, tradition, and visual heritage, and screen and discuss video art. A dedicated segment of the program will focus on Tamyr Art Scene and opportunities for professional collaboration among community members across the region.
Tashkent is the third city to host Community Day, following Almaty and Bishkek. This series allows Tamyr Art Scene to engage with the distinct local contexts of Central Asia: each edition is shaped around the themes, practices, and pressing questions driving the local art scene. The next Community Day will take place in Dushanbe, continuing Tamyr Art Scene’s regional program of engagements.
Community Day / Tashkent Program | October 3, 3:00–10:00pm
Address: Tashkent, moc hub, 77 Buyuk Turon St.
3:00–4:00pm — Lecture by Roman Zakharov: "How to Develop Independent Art Initiatives: The ARYQ Fest Experience"
Using ARYQ Fest as a case study, festival co-organizer Roman Zakharov will share how to build and sustain independent art initiatives in Central Asia. Participants will break down key practical aspects: assembling a team and shaping a program, securing partnerships and funding, navigating resource constraints, and cultivating relationships with the local art community.
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4:00–5:30pm — Lecture by Dilyara Kaipova: "Inside the Clouds: The Symbolic Language of Abr Fabrics"
Artist Dilyara Kaipova will explore abr fabrics as a complex system of visual signs in which history, politics, science, natural phenomena, and folk beliefs intertwine. The lecture will trace how patterns evolved alongside society, reflecting the shifts of their time, with special attention to how the traditional language of abr continues to persist and undergo reinterpretation in contemporary art.
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5:00–6:30pm — Video Art Screening and Discussion with Umida Akhmedova
Documentary cinematographer and photographer Umida Akhmedova examines societal dynamics, gender paradigms, and daily existence across Uzbekistan. The gathering will showcase selected video art creations by modern practitioners, leading into a joint conversation with Umida Akhmedova. The dialogue will address the conceptual approaches, motifs, and frameworks embedded within the presented pieces, alongside the trajectory of regional video art.
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5:30–6:30pm — Lecture by Alexey Ulko: "History, Criticism, and Phantom Theory: Where Is Uzbekistan’s Contemporary Art Headed?"
Researcher and art critic Alexey Ulko will examine contemporary art in Uzbekistan and Central Asia during a generational shift and the formation of a new artistic landscape. The lecture focuses on the interplay between art history, criticism, and theory, as well as the regional discourse's reliance on imported conceptual frameworks amid a lack of localized theoretical approaches. Special attention will be paid to the tension between the search for new artistic tools and persistent Soviet mindsets, as well as the challenges currently facing a new generation of artists, curators, and researchers.
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6:30-10:00pm — Presentation of Tamyr Art Scene with Rus Biketov, Director of the Tamyr Central Asia Art Lab