The exhibition Regards sur l’Asie Centrale, dedicated to the world of Central Asia, was opened in the French capital. Photographers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan presented their best works.
The exhibition in Paris has become one of the most exciting cultural events of the season in France. This is more than just a selection of photographs—it is a journey into the space of memory, traditions, and human stories, where past and present are intertwined as closely as the threads of an oriental carpet.
Kyrgyz artist Alimzhan Zhorobaev transports the viewer to a world of post-Soviet change. His series «Mirages of Communism» is like a diary of generations bewildered by the chaos of the 1990s and the merciless reality of the following decades. Black-and-white photographs depict shattered illusions, economic instability, and the profound spiritual upheaval experienced by millions of people.
His compatriot Shailoo Dzhekshenbaev offers a completely different perspective—poetic, almost meditative. In his works, ruins become a metaphor for life, and urban spaces in transition become gateways to a world where beauty and ruin exist side by side.
Ernest Kurtveliev represents Uzbekistan. His photographs literally explode the exhibition with power and energy. A series about the ancient game of kukpari is filled with horses, dust, shouts, fury, and brotherhood. This tradition, passed down for centuries, appears as a living organism, the beating heart of all of Central Asia. The photographer’s images depict not only sport but also a ritual of strength, resilience, and unity.
The organizers emphasize that an exhibition dedicated to Central Asia is a rare occurrence in Europe, and, as visitors note, it is impossible to remain indifferent after viewing the exhibition.
