The key facts

  • On October 21, Foundation chairperson Gayane Umerova met with Centre Pompidou president Laurent Le Bon and signed a cooperation agreement.
  • An exhibition dedicated to the art and culture of Uzbekistan is planned at Centre Pompidou.
  • Centre Pompidou opened in Paris in 1977; its museum holds about 150,000 works.

Agreement signed in Paris

On October 21 in Paris, Gayane Umerova, chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, met with Centre Pompidou president Laurent Le Bon. Following the meeting, the parties signed a cooperation agreement aimed at developing a long-term partnership between the Foundation and Centre Pompidou. This was reported to UzNews.uz by the foundation's press service.

Exhibition plans

As part of the cooperation, an exhibition is planned at Centre Pompidou that will present the art and culture of Uzbekistan to an international audience. The foundation's press service links this agreement to the work of strengthening international cultural cooperation carried out on the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev: the Foundation has established partnership ties with yet another leading global institution.

What is known about the Centre Pompidou

The Georges Pompidou National Centre of Art and Culture is one of the largest cultural centers in the world, opened in Paris in 1977. It houses the National Museum of Modern Art of France, whose collection of about 150,000 works is considered one of the largest in the world; among its authors are Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, Andy Warhol and other artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. In addition to the museum, the complex includes a public library and a center for music research, and also serves as a venue for exhibitions, film screenings and festivals.

Context and significance

The confirmed details of the agreement are limited to the fact of its signing and the exhibition plans: the timeline, the composition of the exhibition and the specific areas of partnership have not yet been disclosed. Based on the facts presented, the event is significant for Uzbek cultural figures and the artistic community: an exhibition at an institution with a collection of about 150,000 works provides access to one of the largest international audiences for contemporary art. The practical outcome will be the preparation of an exhibition in Paris, but its format and dates remain unknown.