Public Opening Programme
CCA Tashkent opens to the public for the first time with a full day of tours, conversations, poetry, workshops, film and live performance marking the opening of Hikmah, the Centre's inaugural exhibition.
OPENING PROGRAMME
The Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent (CCA Tashkent) welcomes the public for the first time on 6 September 2026, marking the opening day of Hikmah, its inaugural exhibition. The day brings together curatorial tours, conversations, poetry, workshops, film and live performance across the Centre, inviting audiences of all ages to engage with the exhibition's themes of material intelligence, memory, spirituality, ecology and transformation.
Curatorial Tour with Dr Sara Raza
11:00 | Exhibition Space
Join Dr Sara Raza, curator of Hikmah, for a tour of CCA Tashkent's inaugural exhibition. Discover the ideas behind Hikmah and explore how participating artists engage with material intelligence, memory, spirituality, ecology and transformation.
Little CCA Tashkent Makers: Clay and Puppets
11:00 | Workshop | Ages 3–5
Inspired by works by Kimsooja and Ali Cherri, this playful workshop invites CCA Tashkent's youngest visitors to explore clay, puppetry and storytelling. Children will experiment with materials and create their own objects inspired by the exhibition. Materials provided. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Public Tours with CCA Tashkent Mediators
11:00 / 13:00 / 15:00 / 17:00 | Exhibition Spaces
Discover Hikmah through a guided tour led by the Centre's mediators. Explore selected artworks and ideas from the exhibition while looking closely, asking questions and developing your own interpretations.
Poetry Reading
13:00 | Library | Ages 12+
Bringing poetry into dialogue with the imaginative world of Hikmah, this special session introduces young audiences to modern and historical Uzbek classics in the setting of the CCA Tashkent Library.
Flying Carpets: Sculpture Workshop
14:00 | Workshop | Ages 12+
Inspired by Nadia Kaabi-Linke's Flying Carpets, this hands-on workshop explores how familiar forms can be transformed through material, scale and imagination. Participants will create their own sculptural responses while considering movement, place, architecture and collective memory.
Film Programme: Kimsooja and Ali Cherri
14:00 | Auditorium
Explore the moving-image practices of Kimsooja and Ali Cherri through a special screening programme accompanying Hikmah. The programme includes Kimsooja's Thread Routes — Chapters I and II, exploring textile traditions in Peru and Europe, and Ali Cherri's The Digger, following the daily life of a caretaker guarding ancient ruins in Sharjah.
Avaaz — Live Performance
16:00 | Diesel Station, Main Stage
Conceived by former CCA Tashkent resident Attia Shiraz in dialogue with Nari Ward's installation, Avaaz brings together vocalists from the Yunus Rajabi Institute. The performance explores voice as a vessel for memory, transmission and collective experience.
Upcycling
16:00 | Workshop | Ages 12+
Experiment with fabrics, garments and everyday materials in a creative workshop exploring upcycling and transformation. Participants will rethink ideas of waste and value through hands-on making.
Nadia Kaabi-Linke in Conversation with Dr Sara Raza
17:00 | Diesel Station, Main Hall
Nadia Kaabi-Linke joins Hikmah curator Dr Sara Raza to discuss her practice and Flying Carpets (2015), presented in the exhibition. The conversation explores architecture, memory, migration and the social histories embedded in places and materials.
Shashmaqom: The Method
20:00 | Courtyard
Shashmaqom: The Method explores Central Asia's musical traditions as a living form of knowledge, bringing together traditional musical elements with contemporary performance. The evening programme closes with music, memory and transmission in the CCA Tashkent courtyard
