President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has visited Tashkent's new Center for Contemporary Art, the presidential press service reported.
The center occupies a historic building constructed in 1912 and designed by architect Wilhelm Heinzelmann. Originally built as a tram depot, the building was later repurposed as a diesel power station.
The restoration's architectural concept was developed by the French firm Studio KO. According to the press service, the renovation preserved the building's historic appearance and industrial character while adapting it to meet the needs of a modern cultural venue.
The center is expected to serve as an open platform for artists, curators, researchers and young people, and to become a gathering point for contemporary creators from Uzbekistan and abroad. Officials say the space is meant to foster new ideas, professional connections and projects that showcase Uzbekistan's contemporary cultural potential on the international stage.
According to the presidential press service, this marks Uzbekistan's first state-run center for contemporary art and the first cultural institution of its scale in Central Asia to combine exhibition, educational, research and public-outreach functions under one roof.
During his visit, the president toured the center's exhibition and educational spaces as well as its public areas. The complex also includes venues for meetings and public programs, a concept store and a restaurant. A specialized library and research archive, open to the general public, house literature and materials on art, visual culture and critical theory.
The center plans to host exhibitions, lectures, open discussions, film screenings, concerts, performances, creative workshops and artist residencies, with programming aimed at supporting artists, curators, researchers and young professionals while broadening public access to contemporary art.
Mirziyoyev was briefed on the center's exhibition, educational and research programs during his visit, and stressed the need to make the space a living venue open to creative youth, the professional community and the general public alike.
The center's official opening is scheduled for September 6.
