"Settled over two thousand years ago, Bukhara was once a vital crossroads on the Silk Road and a renowned center of scholarship during the medieval Islamic Golden Age, home to polymaths like the eleventh-century philosopher and physician Ibn Sina (better known in the West as Avicenna), whose encyclopedic Canon of Medicine, completed in 1025, remained the standard medical reference text."
"(It's also not particularly easy to reach from major art-world centers. Only six international cities have direct flights to Bukhara, and five of those are in Russia.) As recently as 2021, Uzbekistan's president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, castigated local officials for the city's failure to meet various socioeconomic benchmarks, noting rampant corruption and bribery, high levels of unemployment, and inadequate urban infrastructure."
Bukhara is an ancient Silk Road city and former medieval center of scholarship, home to polymaths like Ibn Sina, whose Canon of Medicine (1025) influenced practice for centuries. Contemporary art infrastructure in Bukhara is minimal, lacking museums, galleries, art schools, and a vibrant underground scene. Accessibility is limited, with direct flights from only six international cities, five in Russia. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has prioritized boosting tourism and cultural heritage as part of development policy. The 2024 Bukhara Biennial received strong political backing and was curated by Diana Campbell to invite international contemporary artists to reinterpret Uzbek craft traditions under the title 'Recipes for Broken Hearts.'
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