In Italy, the presentation of the two-part exhibition project "Uzbekistan: Avant-Garde in the Desert" continues, initiated by the Fund for the Development of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan. Ca' Foscari University - one of the leading universities in Venice, with a history dating back to 1868 - hosts the exhibition "Form and Symbol."
The Venetian section of the exhibition project focuses on the evolution of the artistic movement avant-garde orientalis. Curators Silvia Burini and Giuseppe Barbieri from the Center for the Study of Russian Art at Ca' Foscari University propose to replace the term "Turkestan avant-garde" with the more inclusive term "avant-garde orientalis."
The introduction of the new term is associated with the fact that the exhibition project "Uzbekistan: Avant-Garde in the Desert" encompasses a wider circle of artists who lived and worked in Turkestan and the Uzbek SSR.
The exhibition "Form and Symbol" highlights the influence of the avant-garde collection sent to the Tashkent Museum of Arts in 1921 by the Moscow Museum Bureau. The collection included works by Kandinsky, Kliun, Rodchenko, Popova, Rozanova, Exter, among others. This new artistic experience reflected in the local artists' work is showcased in the exhibition.
The exhibition brings together some of the best works of avant-garde orientalis artists from the collections of the Tashkent State Art Museum and the Nukus Museum named after I.V. Savitsky. European audiences have the opportunity to see paintings by various masters.
Both the Florence and Venice exhibitions introduce the international public to Igor Savitsky, an archaeologist, collector, and founder of the Nukus Museum. His collection is considered one of the best in Central Asia, featuring works of Russian avant-garde and decorative arts of Karakalpakstan.
The concept of a "synthetic museum" followed by Savitsky is reflected in the exhibition project. Enriched with national decorative arts, the exhibition space at Ca' Foscari University showcases the cultural and historical heritage depth and demonstrates the intercultural dialogue among artists.
The exhibition "Form and Symbol" at Ca' Foscari University in Venice is open to visitors until September 29.
