As part of the Cultural Heritage Week in Uzbekistan, an exhibition titled “Turkestan Avant-Garde: Between Space and Time” has opened at the Gallery of Fine Arts.

Minister of Culture of Uzbekistan, Ozodbek Nazarbekov, Chairman of the Board of the World Society for the Study, Preservation, and Popularization of the Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan, Firdavs Abdukhalikov, and others addressed the guests and participants with welcoming words.

The speakers noted that today Uzbekistan is laying the foundation for the Third Renaissance, and cultural heritage is becoming increasingly popular and recognizable not only within our country but also abroad.

As part of the exhibition in Tashkent, artworks by avant-garde artists from the collection of the Savitsky State Art Museum (Karakalpakstan) have been brought in.

“We have brought over 80 paintings by 14 artists to the exhibition. Among them are works by leading masters of this movement, such as Ural Tansykbayev, Alexander Volkov, Zinaida Kovalevskaya, Nikolay Karahan, and many others. I believe that this exhibition once again demonstrates the breadth and diversity of Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage”, commented Tigran Mkrtichev, the director of the Savitsky State Art Museum in Karakalpakstan.

Speaking about the uniqueness of the exhibition, Kamola Akilova, the director of the Gallery of Fine Arts of Uzbekistan, emphasized that all the opened exhibitions within the Cultural Heritage Week showcase the richness of Uzbekistan’s culture.

“The Savitsky Museum is undoubtedly very unique. Igor Savitsky, the first director and creator of this museum, made a significant contribution to its development. Why are we focusing on the theme of the Turkestan Avant-Garde today? Because the avant-garde of the 1920s is art aimed at transforming the world, introducing new interpretative motifs, narratives, and stylistics. It is relevant to us because Uzbekistan is currently undergoing transformations and modernization in all spheres. And, of course, this is reflected in culture and art. Undoubtedly, it generates interest among foreign guests as well as our society”, said Kamola Akilova.

She added that the exhibition “Turkestan Avant-Garde: Between Space and Time” logically continues and complements the two exhibitions that opened within the Cultural Heritage Week at the Temurids Museum and the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan. Together, these events showcase the multifaceted, distinctive, and unique culture of Uzbekistan, which is admired by the entire world.

Jem Korkut, the Advisor to the President of the Turkish Academy of Sciences, emphasized the importance of international cooperation in the study and preservation of cultural legacy, both for Uzbekistan and Turkey. He described the ongoing event as significant for cultural exchange between the countries.

“The Cultural Heritage Week of Uzbekistan is a significant event for all Turkic-speaking and Islamic countries because Uzbekistan's heritage and history are close to us and important for all of humanity. I am pleased to say that in the four years since my last visit to Uzbekistan, tremendous changes have occurred in all areas of life, including a stronger focus on their culture and past. I am confident that Uzbekistan will not stop there and will continue to impress the world with its splendor”, said Jem Korkut.