In the summer of 2024, the exhibition “Uzbekistan: Avant-Garde in the Desert” was showcased in Florence and Venice. For the first time, a Western audience had the chance to see around 150 artworks that blend European modernism and Russian avant-garde influences with distinct oriental elements. These pieces emerged from a region that bore different names over the course of a century: Turkestan (1867–1918), the Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic of Turkestan (1918–1924), and the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (1924–1991). The curators of the Italian exhibition coined the term “Avantguardia Orientalis” to describe the unique artistic movement that flourished there between 1920 and 1960.

So why this blog? Because this groundbreaking art movement deserves a spotlight. But we’re not stopping there—Uzbekistan’s contemporary art and cultural scene is just as exciting.

Let’s explore the past, the present, and everything in between. Welcome aboard!