Arctic Ice Chess wins third place in the X Tashkent Biennale in Uzbekistan

I am stunned to share that my artwork, Arctic Ice Chess, won third place in the 10th Tashkent Biennale in Uzbekistan last week! My deepest thanks to our tireless curator Sukhrob Kurbanov; Akmal Nurodinov, Chairman of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan; the esteemed jury: Adam Budak (Germany), Her Excellency Sheikha Mai Bint Mohammend Al-Khalifa (Bahrain), Chang Min Lim (South Korea), Hu Muqing (China) and Ing Phousera (France); the incredible biennale team; and the wonderful volunteers who translated for us and kept everything running smoothly. 

Arctic Ice Chess is a melting chess game about the climate crisis and how the resulting sea level rise and geopolitical race for Arctic petroleum deposits affect the world. It was borne in 2021 as part of my PhD dissertation in UNSW Sydney School of Art and Design. That this work brings so many communities together reflects how the climate crisis connects us all, calling for action to reduce fossil fuel emissions and aligning with the biennale’s theme, ‘Art and World’. 

The video of Game 1 is between Gorm Gunnarsen, a politician and then-candidate for mayor in Copenhagen, and Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen, military lecturer of the Danish Armed Forces. Game 1 was curated in 2021 by my dear friend the indefatigable curator Malou Solfjeld, organised by SixtyEight Art Institute who also edited the videos, and played on a boat owned by Neils Heilberg and docked on Copenhagen Harbour. Part of the research was funded in 2019 by the Kone Foundation in Finland.

I am deeply grateful for the chance to exhibit one of my favourite projects and to teach a masterclass at the Central Exhibitions Hall at the Academy of Arts in Uzbekistan, sharing my PhD research and practice. I also had the privilege of giving a lecture at the State Museum in Memory of the Victims of the Repressions, an institution dedicated to the memory of the people who fought for the independence of Uzbekistan for the biennale’s International Scientific and Practical Conference with the theme, ‘Nationality and Universality in Contemporary Art: The Individual of Understanding and Interpretation’.

I have always seen biennales as a form of diplomatic exchange – like a caravanserai – and although I have never visited this part of the world, I believe it is important to fill in the gaps of one’s understanding. I was mesmerised by the beauty of Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara, crucial Silk Road cities, where ideas and cultures have mingled for centuries. 

Most importantly, I am thankful for the friendships I made with artists from this side of the planet. Despite me coming all the way from Australia, when you share each other’s baby pictures, dance to Uptown Funk and the Macarena, and come to my rescue when I got food poisoning, then language and cultural difference matter less. I will always remember everyone’s kindness and hospitality. I hope our paths cross again soon! Uzbekistan will always be in my heart. ❤️