Uzbekistan’s Bukhara launches global art biennale of rituals and food
Silk Road city transforms into cultural hub this autumn, with artists from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (MNTV) — Uzbekistan’s Silk Road city of Bukhara is preparing to step onto the global cultural stage this autumn as it hosts its first international art biennale, Recipes for Broken Hearts.
The ten-week festival, scheduled from September 5 to November 20, will showcase contemporary art, community rituals, and culinary experiences across the city’s UNESCO-listed historic core.
The initiative is led by the Uzbekistan Arts and Culture Development Foundation under chairperson Gayane Umerova, with renowned curator Diana Campbell shaping the vision.
More than 70 newly commissioned works will be exhibited inside restored madrasas and caravanserais, reimagined as immersive art spaces.
According to the Times of Central Asia, organizers emphasize that the event is not a conventional exhibition but a “ritual for the senses,” where audiences engage through touch, scent, sound, and taste.
Visitors will encounter art as experience rather than display. At the opening ceremony, Korean Buddhist nun and chef Jeon Kwan will prepare and bury kimchi in clay pots, to be unearthed and shared ten weeks later — a performance symbolizing transformation through time.
Other highlights include Egyptian-American artist Laila Gohar’s crystal sculpture made of grape juice and saffron, Colombian artist Delcy Morelos’ dome of clay and spices, and Indian sculptor Subodh Gupta’s massive yurt-shaped dome built from enamel teapots, where guests will be served fusion cuisine.
A distinctive feature of the biennale is its reliance on local artisans. Every piece is being created in Bukhara itself, drawing on the skills of weavers, potters, and carpet makers to embed centuries-old traditions into contemporary works.
Historic venues such as the 16th-century Gavkushon madrasa will host workshops, public readings, and a symposium on the “culture of repair,” exploring restoration as both resistance to forgetting and a form of collective healing.
Music will play a central role throughout the event. At every full moon, the sounds of the karnaim — a traditional Uzbek horn once believed to summon water in the desert — will echo through Bukhara’s streets.
The performances, blending ritual with environmental commentary, will be staged alongside the Bukhara Philharmonic Orchestra and experimental musicians including Lebanese sound artist Tarek Atoui.
The festival will culminate in a Rice Culture Festival, where chefs will prepare dishes such as Uzbek plov, Spanish paella, Indian pulao, and West African jollof, paired with stories and songs.
Analysts see the biennale as a breakthrough for Central Asia’s cultural identity. Kazakh art historian Raushan Kazbaeva said the event demonstrates how the region can shift international perceptions. “For too long Central Asia has been viewed only through political or economic lenses.
This biennale proves that world-class art is emerging here, rooted in everyday culture and capable of shaping global conversations,” she said.
Local authorities expect an influx of international visitors. Bukhara, connected by high-speed rail to Tashkent and Samarkand, has prepared boutique hotels and guesthouses in its UNESCO-listed old town.
With art, music, and food converging in one of the Silk Road’s most storied cities, organizers hope Recipes for Broken Hearts will mark the beginning of Bukhara’s return as a global cultural destination.
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