WNAM MONITORING: The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) announces the release of two new books, Tashkent: A Modernist Capital (Rizzoli New York) and Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI (Lars Müller), which shed light on the underappreciated architectural heritage of the capital of Uzbekistan.
According to the ACDF, the books have become an important milestone in the large-scale research project Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI, which is being carried out under the leadership of the ACDF and an international team of experts, including GRACE, Politecnico di Milano, Boris Chukhovich, Armin Linke, and Laboratorio Permanente. To date, within the framework of this project, 20 modernist buildings in Tashkent have been granted national heritage status.
The book Tashkent: A Modernist Capital, published by Rizzoli New York, features photographs of 24 iconic modernist buildings in Tashkent taken by Karel Balas and includes a foreword by Chris Dercon, an art historian and Managing Director of Fondation Cartier. The publication unveils the unique architectural qualities of these outstanding buildings, constructed from the 1960s until the early 1990s. Impressive images and texts offer readers a fresh perspective on Tashkent’s rich cultural heritage.
Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI from Lars Müller Publishers represents a synthesis of a three-year research project of the same name. This book serves as an archive that encapsulates the results of extensive studies. It also contributes to the global discussion on the 20th century legacy and the preservation of modernist architecture worldwide. Edited by Boris Chukhovich, Davide Del Curto, and Ekaterina Golovatyuk, the book includes analytical essays on Tashkent modernism and the broader issues of preserving modernist architecture, as well as monographic studies and strategies for safeguarding several modernist buildings in Tashkent. The book also features an interview with world-renowned architect Rem Koolhaas and a photo project by Armin Linke.
The coordinator of the Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI project – the architectural bureau GRACE – will become the curator of the Uzbek Pavilion at the Biennale Architettura 2025 in Venice, continuing work on preserving this heritage.
“Project Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI has no global analogs”, notes Gayane Umerova, Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation. “It brings together experts, activists, and government bodies to achieve real and meaningful changes in protecting, studying, and preserving architectural heritage. This large-scale effort resulted in two new books – Tashkent: A Modernist Capital and Tashkent Modernism XX/XXI. They draw attention to outstanding yet underappreciated architecture. I hope these publications will allow for a deeper understanding of the significance of Tashkent modernism and the rich cultural heritage of Uzbekistan as a whole”.
