Sara Raza was appointed as the artistic director and chief curator of the Centre for Contemporary Art in Tashkent (CCA). In this role, she will play a crucial role in shaping the CCA’s creative mission while fostering relationships across the region. As artistic director and chief curator, Raza will oversee cultural and educational partnerships while encouraging local, regional, and international artists to engage with Uzbekistan’s culture.
CCA is part of a wider initiative led by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) to contribute to the country’s cultural ecosystem. The Centre is set to open in September 2025 as a global hub of arts and culture. Housed in a restored 1912 tram depot and diesel station, redesigned by the architectural firm Studio KO, CCA’s space will host residencies, exhibitions, educational programming and workshops, fostering creative collaboration and artistic exchange.
Gayane Umerova, deputy head of the Department of Social Development of the Presidential Administration and chairperson of ACDF stated: “We are delighted to welcome Sara Raza as the Artistic Director and Chief Curator of the Centre for Contemporary Art in Tashkent. Her vision, coupled with her scholarly expertise in global contemporary art, will ensure that the CCA becomes a vibrant cultural hub for Uzbekistan and the world over. Sara’s appointment comes at an exciting time for Tashkent and Uzbekistan, and we are looking forward to the broad range of contributions she will make in shaping the Centre as an invaluable cultural resource in Tashkent and beyond.”
Raza is an internationally renowned curator, writer and educator with two decades of experience. She specialises in global art and visual cultures from a postcolonial and post-Soviet perspective, focusing on Orientalism. Raza recently published Punk Orienta/ism: The Art of Rebellion (2022) and has previously curated exhibitions for international museums and biennials, including Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the 55th Venice Biennale Saudi Pavilion. She was formerly the Guggenheim UBS MAP Global Art Initiative Curator for the Middle East and North Africa at the Guggenheim Museum in New York and Curator of Public Programs at Tate Modern in London.
