Kazan–Tashkent: Intersections of 20th-Century Art

The exhibition is structured into three main sections, preceded by a short prologue. A series of photographs of Tatars in Uzbekistan from the early 20th century introduces the historical context, showing how, from the 18th century onwards, students and theologians travelled to study in Bukhara’s madrasas, theatre companies exchanged productions, and merchants built economic links between the regions.

The exhibition opens with works by Pavel Benkov. His first visit to Bukhara took place in 1928, and by 1930 he had moved to Samarkand, where the so-called “Benkov Impressionism” took shape. The light, textures and colours of eastern cities inspired the artist, and today a republican art college in Tashkent bears his name.

A central place in the exhibition is given to works by Baki Urmanche, the founder of Tatar painting, who endured exile to the Solovetsky Islands, restrictions on residence in major cities, and forced relocations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. These experiences left a deep mark on his work, but did not break him as an artist.

The exhibition also features works by Alexander Volkov, founder of an art group bearing his name, as well as Nadezhda Kashina, Chingiz Akhmarov and other artists discussed in the monographs of Rafail Taktash, an art historian and writer who devoted his life to the study of 20th-century Uzbek art.

“The key idea of the exhibition is not to impress visitors with the number of masterpieces. What matters are the stories, intersections, and dialogues between artists, lives and cultures. This exhibition is not about paintings, but about connections. Through them, we see how migration, repression and cultural exchange shape art,” says curator Kirill Maevsky.

The exhibition runs until 14 June.