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The 17th International Architecture Biennale kicked off in Venice. Her business card this year is the participation of Uzbekistan, the first event in the history of a state from Central Asia. For six months, the unique pavilion will attract the attention of the foreign public and experts to the national Uzbek way of life and traditions.

Mahalla philosophy

The exhibition "Mahalla: Urban and Rural Life" was inaugurated on May 20. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Uzbek authorities.

Saida Mirziyoyeva, Deputy Chair of the Council of the Foundation for the Development of Culture and Art under the Uzbek Ministry of Culture, presented the project as follows: “Our exhibition here is dedicated to the mahalla - a unique architectural and social phenomenon, the traditional way of life of the community, a form of neighborhood and a unit of local government.

"Mahalla is our history. At the same time, it is the most important aspect of modern urban reality."
Saida Mirziyoyev.

As a debut project at the Biennale, Uzbekistan chose the one that most concentrated and vividly reflects the peculiarity of the traditional way of life. Makhalla is not only a typical Uzbek quarter, but also an iconic socio-cultural model that may be of interest to other regions.

We hope that the makhalla will become a new cultural brand of Uzbekistan all over the world." Aziz Abdukhakimov.

Visitors to the pavilion are invited to a typical Uzbek courtyard. The frame structure is made of yellow tubular steel in full size. 3D applications bring the structure to life for an immersive experience.

Project curator Christoph Gantenbein admitted: "Thanks to the makhalla, we learned that life and architecture go hand in hand. Architecture itself is nothing, but life needs a frame, it needs a shelter, a frame."

Foreign and Uzbek masters worked on the implementation of the project, young people were involved. Project sound engineer Carlos Casas and photographer Bas Prinsen brought to Venice the sound atmosphere of everyday life in Uzbek neighborhoods.

"How are we going to live?"

Through the makhalla, Uzbekistan offers its answer to the question stated by the theme of the biennale: "How will we live together?"

One of the important components of the project is educational and awareness-raising. As Gayane Umerova, executive director of the Foundation for the Development of Culture and Art under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, commissioner of the exhibition project, said, in the process of working with curators, Emmanuel Christ and Christoph Gantenbein, they met talented youth who are ready to create and work for the future.

“In principle, it was very important for us to open the minds of our students so that they could look at things outside the box,” comments Gayane Umerova. “It was cooperation, an exchange of energy. Perhaps in the future they will be able to jointly implement several projects. They really can learn from each other. "

Many Uzbek mahallas will inevitably disappear - life does not stand still, people's habits and economic realities are changing. One of the objectives of this project is to document the unique traditions of the life of the Uzbek society.

President of the Venice Biennale Roberto Cicutto does not hide his enthusiasm for the exposition of the new participating country: “I think this is a strong approach - to learn from the past to build the present and the future. The project is beautiful: this type of architecture is imbued with a human vision. peculiarities of the way of life - both in terms of housing as such, and in terms of the way of life of local communities. I believe that the project is relevant from the point of view of the current time moment, and from the point of view of the goals of the Biennale. "

The 17th Venice Biennale is curated by Lebanese architect Hashim Sarkis. The event is attended by 46 countries, it will last until November 21.

Source: euronews.com