Tashkent to Open a Center for Contemporary Art on 21 March

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A Center for Contemporary Art will open in Tashkent on 21 March, the press service of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation reported.

The center is housed in an industrial building constructed in 1912, which before the revolution accommodated the city’s first diesel power station. After its revival in 2019, the center operated for some time in a pilot format, but in 2021 the building was closed for reconstruction, originally scheduled for completion by 2023.

The building’s transformation was carried out by the French architectural firm Studio KO. In October 2025, the concept of the renovated center was presented in the form of a scale model at the international Art Basel fair in Paris. The Foundation emphasized that this will be Uzbekistan’s first permanent, fully operational center dedicated to contemporary art, research, and public engagement.

According to the Foundation, a year-round program developed by the center’s Artistic Director and Chief Curator, Dr. Sara Raza, will focus on actively supporting Uzbek art and cultural practitioners, bringing international exhibitions to Tashkent, and presenting artists from Uzbekistan on the global stage.

The center will also serve as a platform for artistic research and experimentation, hosting artist residencies, fellowships, and educational initiatives.

“When we first envisioned the center, it was important to me that this space be open to everyone, become a place of inspiration, dialogue, and opportunity, and serve as a focal point for the city’s community,” said Gayane Umerova, Chair of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation.

The building will include a library, studios, and a café, and admission to the center will be free of charge.