Discover the Exhibition

Language, traditions, clothing, myths and film. Our cultural background is part of our identity; of who we are, what we do and how we think. But what if your country and culture are constantly changing? How do you not forget where you come from and who you are?

In a still from Saodat Ismailova's Two Horizons, two hilltops feature in a midnight-blue landscape, one in the front and one further back. A shining star is right above the hill furthest back.

Saodat Ismailova, Two Horizons, 2017. Two channel HD video installation, 24 min., colour, 4.1 surround. Courtesy of Saodat Ismailova and Le Fresnoy

In the exhibition 18,000 Worlds, Saodat Ismailova (1981, Tashkent) takes you to the hidden world of myths and rituals in Central Asia, and specifically her motherland Uzbekistan. The artist and filmmaker received the Eye Art & Film Prize in 2022 for her oeuvre, in which she pays attention to the complex, layered culture of her motherland. This is her first major retrospective. With both film and installations, Ismailova portrays the rich, but also dynamic culture and society of the country.

Through dialogue, viewing and doing assignments, and students research and experience her work. Fun, interaction, a critical look and putting your own experience into words are central to the tour. The tour concludes with a creative assignment in which students are challenged – just like Ismailova – to think about themselves and their own cultural identity.