Saodat Ismailova - I compete with the time (2025)
(ENG)
The exhibition I Compete With Time offers the public a discourse on the perception of time, and does so from two perspectives. On the one hand, it relates to the question of time based on the mystical tradition of Central Asia, which can be seen in the film 18,000 Worlds.
On the other hand, there is the intention to talk about time through the history of horse domestication, which took place in the steppes of Central Asia. This can be discovered through several works in the exhibition, which involve extensive research.
For example, on the left are existing objects over 100 years old made from horsehair. They are veils that covered women's faces. And here is a new work called Time's Tale, which is a projection on a screen made of horsehair.
In fact, this space moves in two directions: on the one hand, it talks about the history of the veil in women, and on the other, it invites reflection on time, horses, and memory. That is why you can also hear the presence of the wind.
Then, if you go down the gallery, you will see the film Her Right, which connects with the work here—the existing veils that are part of my collection. Her Right addresses the issue of women's emancipation during a historical moment in eastern Uzbekistan known as the Hujum.