Saodat Ismailova, Chillahona, 2022. Installation view, Pirelli Hangar Biccoca,2024. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Agostino Osio.
Saodat Ismailova — Her Journeys, Her Lives
Discover the mesmerising audiovisual gems of Saodat Ismailova
➤ STUK Expozaal
➤ Fr 10 Oct Ongoing (19:00 → 23:00)
➤ Short introductions (10’) at 20:00, 21:00 and 22:00
Part of the Queer Arts Festival Leuven: Opening Night
Saodat Ismailova's films are audiovisual gems that offer an insight into the layered histories and cultures of Central Asia, while connecting the past with the present through personal stories.
In her first solo exhibition in Belgium, we take you to Chillahona, the underground cells in Tashkent where people honor a practice of self-isolation, we listen to the stories of people who have taken part in this ritual in Zukhra, and allow ourselves to be transported by the soundtrack of whispering voices, birds and the wind in Celestial Circle.
Every hour we provide a short 10-minute introduction, a perfect start to dive into these wondrous worlds.
Saodat Ismailova 2025. Photo: Bea Borgers
Saodat Ismailova (°1981, Tasjkent) is an Uzbek filmmaker and artist who came of age in the post-Soviet era. Her works have been the subject of solo exhibitions worldwide, and have been shown at major international art platforms including documenta fifteen (2022) and the Biennale of Venice (2022 and 2024). Most recently, she received the Art Basel Emerging Artist Award (2025).
