Recipes for Broken Hearts — UZ10

Bukhara Biennial

This biennial is not about broken hearts; it’s about the recipes to mend them. Cures, like recipes, are not static. Inspired by the wonder we knew as children that can spark the wildest sense of imagination, we might invent new recipes to heal one another. This is not an exhibition meant to be experienced alone, but one that celebrates what is possible when we show up for each other.

~Bukhara Biennial

We were fortunate to arrive in Bukhara early enough on Sunday afternoon to spend the rest of the day exploring the Bukhara Biennial. Like many things here Mondays are the one day that the Biennial is closed.

Artists from around the world were partnered with local artists from the Bukhara area. The art pieces were all created locally, some in situ.

It was fun to scavenger hunt around this city we didn’t know to locate the art. It’s hard to imagine this show being close to as effective in any other setting… In particular the nooks and crannies of the caravanserai were perfect for the intimate, interactive pieces. And the ikat weaving along the canal was, literally, made for this place.

A favorite experience, not pictured, was a small room in the caravanserai. We entered through the blackout curtain and found ourselves in a room with five or six local women, one of them a tween. There was a film of four women dancing projected on the wall. As we arrived it was obvious the tween had just started dancing along, but she noticed us and stopped, one of the other women hadn’t seen us and she tried to encourage the tween by starting to dance herself. Then she noticed us, and stopped. I then stepped into the group and started to mimic the dancers in the film, then the tween and the encouraging woman joined me. The three of us danced along with the dreamy, slow dancing being projected for several minutes. It was so delightful to interact with both the art and women this way. And, while we didn’t get photos, the other women in the group did. I kind of like the idea of being the mystery woman in their movie and photos.

In one room I was invited to choose a hushtak and then use it to create a unique song. The song was then merged with others playing in a larger courtyard.