Sara Raza has been appointed as the first artistic director and chief curator of Uzbekistan’s Centre for Contemporary Art Tashkent (CCA). Born in London and raised in New York, Raza brings international experience from the Guggenheim Museum and a personal connection to Central Asia, including Uzbek ancestry. The CCA, founded in 2019 and housed in a restored 1912 tram depot, is currently undergoing expansion by French architecture firm Studio KO, with reopening delayed to 2026. Raza has already launched artist residencies in traditional Uzbek mahallas and hired a 19-year-old youth curator to engage the country’s predominantly young population.
This appointment matters because it signals a shift in Uzbekistan’s cultural sector, where women are increasingly taking leadership roles despite the country’s patriarchal society and poor record on civil liberties. Raza’s work raises questions about artistic freedom in a politically restrictive environment, but she emphasizes that Uzbek artists have always found subtle ways to address social issues. The CCA is the only permanent contemporary art center in Uzbekistan, and Raza’s efforts to reach communities outside the gallery—drawing on her experience in London—could reshape how contemporary art engages with a young, diverse audience in Central Asia.