When Apricots Blossom

The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) presents “When Apricots Blossom”, an immersive takeover of Palazzo Citterio during Milan Design Week 2026. Commissioned by Gayane Umerova, Chairperson of ACDF, the exhibition brings together installations, new contemporary design commissions and live programming as expressions of cultural renewal, reframing the material language and environmental legacy of the Aral Sea region and Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan.

Named after a 1930s poem by Uzbek playwright and literary scholar Hamid Olimjon, an ode to hope and possibility, and coinciding with spring in Milan, the exhibition traces a narrative of resilience in the Aral Sea region through craft and design. It reflects on decades of profound environmental change following the dramatic shrinking of the Aral Sea after 1960s river diversions, which led to the loss of over 90% of its volume.

At Palazzo Citterio, the exhibition unfolds as a spatial journey guided by Kulapat Yantrasast’s focus on textiles, food and shelter as three core aspects of Karakalpak culture, where craft is understood as living knowledge across generations. On the façade, Bethan Laura Wood with Uzbek artisans creates a large colourful textile tapestry with tassels and woven ribbons inspired by Uzbek textile heritage and nomadic yurts. The courtyard features an orchard-inspired installation of apricot trees by Ruben Saakyan, referencing a key symbol of hospitality and resilience in the region. A ‘deconstructed yurt’ by WHY Architecture forms a space for gathering, talks and workshops within the historic garden.

In the main gallery, the narrative of the Aral Sea unfolds within an undulating landscape of reed-like structures evoking regional terrain. Twelve designers create bread trays and bread stamps in collaboration with Uzbek artisans, responding to the cultural and symbolic role of bread (non) and the practice of marking bread (chekich), using materials rooted in Karakalpak craft traditions.

Additional projects include a redevelopment initiative in Nukus, the Aral School programme, and the Aral Culture Summit, alongside the film “Where The Water Ends” by Manuel Correa and Marina Otero Verzier, which explores Karakalpak life, ritual and memory in the context of climate disruption.

Participating designers include Bethan Laura Wood (UK), Bobir Klichev (Uzbekistan), Didi NG Wing Yin (Finland, Hong Kong), Fernando Laposse (Mexico), Glithero (Netherlands, UK), Kulapat Yantrasast (Thailand, US), Marcin Rusak (Poland), Nifemi Marcus-Bello (Nigeria), Sanne Visser (Netherlands, UK), Sevara Haydarova Donazzan (Uzbekistan, Italy), Studio CoPain (Belgium) and Raw-Edges (UK). The exhibition is curated by Kulapat Yantrasast.