“Sculpting Past Tomorrow”: Mohamed Benchellal Exhibition to Open in Tashkent
Uzbekistan
The BENCHELLAL, MONUMENTAL | “Sculpting Past Tomorrow” exhibition by Dutch-Moroccan designer and artist Mohamed Benchellal will open on September 5 at the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan. The exhibition presents a new series of sculptural works created during Benchellal’s artistic residency at CCA Tashkent in 2025 as part of the Artist Residencies programme.
The exhibition is part of the public programme of CCA Tashkent. The new series draws on Uzbekistan’s culture, craft traditions and architectural heritage, continuing Benchellal’s artistic exploration at the intersection of fashion, sculpture, architecture and contemporary art.
Benchellal approaches clothing as a sculptural medium. Through volume, silhouette, structure and spatial interaction, the human body becomes a platform for architectural experimentation. His works occupy the space between couture and sculpture, object and body, monument and movement.
The concept of “Sculpting Past Tomorrow” was first developed by Benchellal in Doha, Qatar, where he created an initial series and presented a solo exhibition at the National Museum of Qatar. The Uzbekistan version continues this artistic research within a new architectural and cultural context.
The country’s monumental architecture, historic landmarks, geometric structures, expansive landscapes and modernist heritage form the conceptual foundation of the new works. Rather than directly reproducing historical motifs or traditional techniques, Benchellal translates these visual references into contemporary sculpture. Ancient geometric forms are abstracted, monumental structures transformed into silhouettes, and architectural scale reconsidered through the human body.
The project is supported by the Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan. CCA Tashkent will open to the public on September 6, 2026. The centre is located in a historic 1912 building that previously served as a tram depot and diesel power station. The building was carefully transformed into a contemporary cultural space by the French architectural practice Studio KO.
Benchellal approaches clothing as a sculptural medium. Through volume, silhouette, structure and spatial interaction, the human body becomes a platform for architectural experimentation. His works occupy the space between couture and sculpture, object and body, monument and movement.
The concept of “Sculpting Past Tomorrow” was first developed by Benchellal in Doha, Qatar, where he created an initial series and presented a solo exhibition at the National Museum of Qatar. The Uzbekistan version continues this artistic research within a new architectural and cultural context.
The country’s monumental architecture, historic landmarks, geometric structures, expansive landscapes and modernist heritage form the conceptual foundation of the new works. Rather than directly reproducing historical motifs or traditional techniques, Benchellal translates these visual references into contemporary sculpture. Ancient geometric forms are abstracted, monumental structures transformed into silhouettes, and architectural scale reconsidered through the human body.
The project is supported by the Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan. CCA Tashkent will open to the public on September 6, 2026. The centre is located in a historic 1912 building that previously served as a tram depot and diesel power station. The building was carefully transformed into a contemporary cultural space by the French architectural practice Studio KO.
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