Rice University’s Department of Art History unveiled its “HART in the World: Uzbekistan” student exhibition Oct. 29, showcasing photographs and reflections from students who spent part of their summer tracing the art, architecture and ecology of Central Asia. Led by professors Farshid Emami and Lida Oukaderova, the group traveled from the Aral Sea to Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand in Uzbekistan studying the interplay between ancient Silk Road heritage and modern urban life. The resulting collage of images and narratives now fills the first-floor hallway of Herring Hall, where it will remain on display for the next two years.
The exhibition marks the latest chapter of the HART in the World program, which offers students the chance to study abroad in major cultural centers every other summer. The Uzbekistan course combined fieldwork, photography and on-site discussions about art, film and environmental change. Students documented their encounters with centuries-old monuments, Soviet-era design and the lingering impact of ecological disaster.
The next HART in the World group is tentatively scheduled for Berlin in 2027. Learn more here.
