Photo: Telegram / SSHMirziyoyeva
The national pavilion of Uzbekistan, "The Aural Sea," has opened at the 61st Venice Biennale. Presenting our country's pavilion at one of the most prestigious venues for contemporary global art has become a significant event for national culture, historical memory, and modern creative perspectives.
This was announced by Saida Mirziyoyeva, Head of the Presidential Administration. She wrote on her Telegram channel that this year's Venice Biennale is being held under the theme "In Minor Keys." This theme resonates with the spirit of our complex times, embodying subtle perspectives on understanding the world, feeling it, and expressing it through art.
Saida Mirziyoyeva noted that she delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of Uzbekistan's "The Aural Sea" pavilion, emphasizing that this appearance held special significance for her. This is because the project is dedicated to the Aral Sea, a topic that is both painful and deeply spiritual for our nation.
However, the exhibition does not portray the Aral Sea merely as a symbol of ecological tragedy. It is interpreted in a broader sense—as a space of collective memory, legends, myths, traces preserved in the human soul, and creative exploration. This approach elevates the Aral theme beyond simple statistics or tragedy, transforming it into a deeply emotional and philosophical space through the language of art.
Through the "The Aural Sea" project, Uzbekistan is telling the world not only about an ecological problem but also about the people behind it, the memories, cultural layers, and the spirit that still lives on. That is the power of art: it can show pain that numbers cannot convey and feelings that documents cannot express.
Saida Mirziyoyeva emphasized that the Uzbekistan pavilion has sparked great interest among Biennale participants and guests. Many visitors expressed a desire to get to know our country's culture more closely and to gain a deeper understanding of our region's history, nature, and art.
This demonstrates that Uzbekistan's participation in the international cultural arena is becoming increasingly active. Having the national pavilion in the spotlight at such a prestigious platform as the Venice Biennale is a major opportunity for our country's art and cultural diplomacy.
Today, art is not just a decoration left in exhibition halls. It is becoming a tool for dialogue between countries, peoples, and cultures. The Uzbekistan pavilion is fulfilling this very mission: it speaks to the world about the Aral Sea, memory, loss, and hope in a uniquely Uzbek, poignant, and modern language.
In short, "The Aural Sea" has made the voice of Uzbekistan heard in Venice. This voice contains the silence of the Aral, the memory of the people, and the creative hope directed toward the future. Art sometimes speaks without noise, but it reaches very far.
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