During Art Basel week in Switzerland, the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation announced the dates for the second Bukhara Biennale. It will open on September 3, 2027, and run until November 21. The event will focus on the interplay between art, urban environment, and sustainable development. The biennale's theme will be revealed later.
The artistic director and curator is Kulapat Yantrasast, a Thai-born American architect and designer, founder and creative director of WHY Architecture in Los Angeles. His portfolio includes the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), the renovation of the Michael Rockefeller Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, projects at the Louvre, and the futuristic Yoshimoto Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka.
Gayane Umerova, chairperson of the Foundation and commissioner of the biennale, stated that Yantrasast brings a deep humanistic and interdisciplinary vision, where architecture, craftsmanship, ecology, science, and artistic practice are seen as interconnected ways of shaping a shared future.
Organizers aim to highlight Bukhara's centuries-old history and transform the city into a meeting point for cultures, ideas, and creative experiments. The project is expected to unlock the potential of the urban environment and foster international cultural dialogue.
The biennale's footprint will expand to include historical monuments, public spaces, and architectural ensembles across the city. Some locations will open to the public for the first time.
"Uzbekistan captivated me from my first visit, not with its monuments, but with its people — their stories, generosity, and the quiet confidence of a culture always open to the world. My goal for 2027 is to deepen this dialogue, treating infrastructure as part of culture. Caravanserais, madrasas, bathhouses, squares, and gardens will become spaces for exchange among artists, craftsmen, ecologists, and researchers," said Yantrasast.
Artworks will be created directly in Uzbekistan, emphasizing local knowledge, craftsmanship, and cultural traditions. The work will follow an interdisciplinary approach, involving ecologists, historians, economists, and urbanists.
Preparations include restoration of historical architectural monuments and establishment of new cultural institutions based on a master plan for revitalizing Bukhara, developed by Wilmotte & Associés for the Foundation.
For the first time, an advisory board for the Bukhara Biennale will be formed, including: Aya Al-Bakri (Diriyah Biennale Foundation, Saudi Arabia); Dilyara Allahverdova (art collector, Azerbaijan); Alia Al-Senussi (art and culture strategist, Libya/UK); Alberto Cavalli (Michelangelo Foundation, Italy); Aaron Cezar (Delfina Foundation, UK); Chris Dercon (Fondation Cartier, Belgium); and Michael Govan (LACMA, USA).
The first Bukhara Biennale in 2025 featured over 70 projects and attracted nearly 1.8 million visitors.
Source: www.gazeta.uz