Saodat Ismailova
Photo: Carlos Casas
Saodat Ismailova is a filmmaker and artist who graduated from Tashkent State Art Institute, Uzbekistan and Le Fresnoy, National Studio of Contemporary Arts, France. Drawing on the cultural identities and vernacular histories of Central Asia, Saodat Ismailova’s films meditate on memory, spirituality, immortality, and extinction. Frequently based around oral stories in which women are the lead protagonists, and exploring systems of knowledge suppressed by globalized modernity, these consciousness expanding works hover between visible and invisible worlds. She initiated Davra research collective in Central Asia, 2021. In 2022 she participated in 59th Biennale of Venice and presented new work at documenta fifteen. In 2022, she received The Eye Art & Film Prize, Amsterdam. Her new film “Melted into the Sun” is presented at Nebula exhibition, commissioned by Fondazione in between Art and Film, Venice Biennale of Arts, 2024. Her works are in the collection of Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Centre of Pompidou, Paris and others.
contact: isaodat@gmail.com
instagram: @saodatismailova
Related Projects
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Taming Waters and Women in Soviet Central Asia
June 14, 2024 - September 29, 2024 | Biennale Matter of Art, Prague
The project explores the historical connections between inadequate water exploitation and female labor in Soviet-era Central Asia. Centered around The Great Fergana Canal and the cotton production, the project examines the intentional manipulation of both water resources and women for industrial ends.
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DAVRA and Beyond: Videos of Central Asian Artists
March 21-30, 2024 | JOAN, Los Angeles
This program is part of the exhibition, Saodat Ismailova: Other Time and DAVRA research collective on view at JOAN through March 30. On the occasion of this exhibition, DAVRA invited Sorokina to curate a selection of films by young Central Asian artists working with moving image, which will be screened from March 21-30 within the installation space.
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Friendship of Peoples: Tashkent, Film, Exchange
September, 2023 | Survival Kit, Riga
"Friendship of Peoples: Tashkent, Film, Exchange" is a project exploring the legacy of the Tashkent International Film Festival of Asia, Africa, and Latin America through "Tashkent 58-88," a curated short film comprising archival footage, essay and research vitrine.
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DAVRA Suhbat
13 August 2023 | Almaty, Dom 36
DAVRA Suhbat’s goal is to set up a transgenerational and multidisciplinary bridge amongst experts in culture and arts of Central Asia. Through dialogue and conversation we would like to empower the bonds between our countries, art scene and practitioners of different disciplines.
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Davra presents three generations of Central Asian video artists
February, April, June 2023 | Eye Film Museum
DAVRA is happy to present three screenings of film and video of three generations of Central Asian artists at the Eye Museum online player as part of Saodat Ismailova’s exhibition “18,000 worlds” at Eye.
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DAVRA texts
February, April, June 2023 | Eye Museum Magazine
Within the framework of Saodat Ismailova’s solo show ‘18,000 worlds’ at Eye Filmmuseum, DAVRA has prepared a series of texts specifically for the institution’s website.
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Chilltan | Winter Chilla
December 25, 2022 - February 5, 2023
On the 19th of December, 2022, we started our Winter Chilla mirroring public programme with a group show in Tashkent.
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Fridzine
2022 | documenta fifteen
fridzine - derived from Fridericianum zine - is a small publication that attempts to find answers to a simple and yet important question: what can we do in a museum?
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Chilltan | Summer Chilla
June 25 - August 5, 2022 | documenta fifteen, Kassel
During the 100 days of documenta fifteen the forty chilltans were introduced to the public via DAVRA collective‘s ongoing research.
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Chilltan: Shapeshifting Eternal Spirits from Central Asia
2022 | documenta fifteen
Chilltans are shape-shifters, fluid sacred spirits that have essentially been present in spiritual traditions in Central Asia. In this publication by DAVRA Collective, research on Chilltans is presented through academic texts, prose, poetry, photographs, illustrations and collages.