EDEN Opens in Tashkent at the XI International Biennale of Contemporary Art

International curatorial project explores mechanisms of transition between reality and illusion, physical and digital worlds within Event Horizon perspective.

TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN, October 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- EDEN opened on October 13 at the Gallery of Fine Arts of Uzbekistan (NBU) as part of the XI Tashkent International Biennale of Contemporary Art. The exhibition brings together seven artists from the core group of the ongoing curatorial research project, initiated by Athens-based curator and art critic Julia Sysalova.

The opening drew a large audience, including members of the Biennale jury, who viewed the works, and prominent figures from cultural, civic and government circles. The exhibition was opened by Kamola Akilova, Director of the Gallery of Fine Arts of Uzbekistan, Doctor of Art History, Professor and Academician of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan.

Julia Sysalova and participating artist Viktor Vinichenko attended the opening and gave interviews to two television channels.

The gallery is currently hosting an exhibition of works by Zurab Tsereteli alongside two projects in the Biennale programme: a curated presentation of local artists and EDEN’s presentation of international artists. This setting places EDEN in dialogue with both Uzbekistan’s contemporary art scene and a wider international artistic context.
The seven participating artists from EDEN’s core group are Oxana Akopov (USA), Irina Metz (Armenia), Julia Flit (UK), Natalya Raduenz (Germany), Natalya Ponomareva (Russian Federation), Veera Romanoff (Finland) and Viktor Vinichenko (Spain).

The seven EDEN artists and their works were selected for the Biennale’s exhibition programme by Chief Curator Zukhra Zainutdinova, PhD in Art History. Held from October 12 to 16 under the theme Event Horizon, the Biennale provides the conceptual framework for EDEN’s presentation in Tashkent. Through this lens, the project investigates the mechanics of the moment of transition between reality and illusion, and between the physical and digital worlds.

“EDEN began in Athens, continued in Berlin, and now finds a new perspective in Tashkent. Each context opens questions that were not visible before. I see this participation as an opportunity for our dialogue to become part of a broader international conversation,” says Julia Sysalova.

On October 15, Sysalova will also participate in the International Scientific and Practical Conference Event Horizon: Contemporary Art in the Context of Socio-Cultural Transformations at the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan. The conference will bring together curators, art historians, artists and researchers to discuss technological change, cultural identity, collective memory and evolving social realities.

From Athens and Berlin to Tashkent

About the Biennale
Organised within the framework of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan and officially supported by the Government of Uzbekistan, the XI Tashkent International Biennale of Contemporary Art takes place from October 12 to 16, 2026, under the theme Event Horizon. Led by Chief Curator Zukhra Zainutdinova, PhD in Art History, it brings together artists from Uzbekistan and abroad across several cultural institutions in Tashkent. Its programme includes exhibitions, performances, masterclasses and an international scientific and practical conference.

About Julia Sysalova
Julia Sysalova is an Athens-based independent curator, art critic and art communication educator. She is Vice President of the Institute of Mediterranean Culture (Greece) and a member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA). Her curatorial research explores perception and the mechanics of transition between reality and illusion, and between the physical and digital worlds. Her international projects include participation in The Wrong Biennale, the OSTEN Biennial of Drawing in Skopje, Personal Structures presented by the European Cultural Centre during the Venice Art Biennale, and the LA Art Show.

About EDEN
EDEN international curatorial art project explores the idea of an ideal world that humanity continually constructs and reimagines in response to cultural, social, environmental and technological change. Its first chapter, EDEN: LOST COORDINATES, was presented at Platforms Project 2025 in Athens, examining the relationship between nature, society and the human desire to create an ideal space. In summer 2026, the project evolved into EDEN.exe, presented with grant support at Berlin’s 48 Stunden Neukölln festival. This second chapter turned to digital culture, artificial environments and the growing influence of technology on our perception of reality. For XI Tashkent International Biennale Event Horizon became the lens through which the works are considered: the focus is on how the transition itself happens. EDEN examines the threshold between reality and illusion, and between the physical and digital worlds, asking how these boundaries are crossed and how perception shifts at the moment of passage.

Exhibition Information
Event: XI Tashkent International Biennale of Contemporary Art — Event Horizon
Biennale dates: October 12–16, 2026
Venue: Gallery of Fine Arts of Uzbekistan (NBU), Tashkent
Exhibition opened: October 13, 2026
Conference: October 15, 2026, Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan

Irina Egorova
Collection PR