The Savitsky Diaries: Old and New

Tashkent City Mall is hosting “The Savitsky Diaries: Old and New”, a multimedia exhibition dedicated to Igor Savitsky — artist, collector and founder of the art museum in Nukus. A project of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, it tells the story of a man whose efforts helped preserve a significant part of the region’s artistic heritage.

Savitsky collected works of the Russian and Turkestan avant-garde, as well as art by Central Asian artists. Over time, a collection took shape in Nukus that is now known far beyond Uzbekistan. Its history is closely intertwined with the collector’s own life: his artistic interests, his discoveries and his decisions about which works needed to be preserved.

This personal connection is one of the exhibition’s central themes. Curator Aziza Izamova introduces visitors to Savitsky’s creative journey, the history of his collection and the artists whose legacy he sought to protect.

Art on a different scale

In the exhibition, painting meets music, light and movement. Shown on large screens, the works take on a different scale: individual details, lines and colour combinations become more apparent, while the images are reflected throughout the gallery space.

The multimedia format offers another way to discover twentieth-century Central Asian art. The experience emerges from several elements: the works themselves, the sequence in which they appear, sound and light. Together, they tell the story of the collection and the period in which it was formed.

The title “Old and New” reflects this approach, presenting artistic heritage through contemporary technology. The way the works are shown changes, while the art and the story of its preservation remain at the heart of the exhibition.

From Tashkent to Nukus

The exhibition can be a starting point for discovering the Savitsky Museum. Behind every image on the screen is an artist’s work; behind the collection are years of collecting and a man who recognised the value of these works.

The project brings this history back into focus and invites visitors to explore the region’s art further — its artists, its movements and the collection in Nukus.

“The Savitsky Diaries: Old and New” runs at Tashkent City Mall until 24 January 2027.