“Recipes for Broken Hearts”

From September 5 to November 20, the ancient city of Bukhara will host the first-ever Biennale of Contemporary Art in its history. Visitors can expect everything from Ibn Sina’s pilaf, an edible pavilion made of crystals, carpets embroidered with Langston Hughes’s poetry, to a giant Uzbek ikat weaving its way through the entire city – all on view this fall in Bukhara, 2025.

Titled “Recipes for Broken Hearts,” the name and concept are inspired by a legend from Uzbekistan: how Ibn Sina (Avicenna) created pilaf to help a heartbroken prince recover from the sorrow of impossible love. “‘Recipes for Broken Hearts’ is a reminder of the great power of small gestures – like doing something to make someone’s day better,” says curator Diana Campbell.

The biennale will feature works by over 90 artists and collectives from Uzbekistan, Central Asia, and across the globe.