In Search of Uzbek Identity

Sardor Babaev Independent creative director Project curating, PR Feruzkhan Yakoubhodjaev We Digital Agency, Partner Project curating, PR Binafsha Nodir Doctor of Arts Expertise in applied arts Aziz Tuhtasinov Crave, Art directior Website development and ornaments digitization team leading Camilla Muminova TBC Bank Uzbekistan, CMO Project growth, strategic integrations Aziza Rakhmatova TBC Bank Uzbekistan, Brand and CSR specialist Project management, creative partnerships George Frangishvili TBC Bank Uzbekistan, Former Creative lead Project growth Koka Kamushadze TBC Bank Uzbekistan, Former Creative lead Project growth Nino Egadze TBC Bank Group, Former Marketing director Project strategy Denis Roman We Digital Agency, Managing partner Project supervising, creative partnerships Valeria Lee We Digital Agency, Project director Project management Finat Razyapov We Digital Agency, Photographer Creation of photo content of ornaments Tamila Mamadalieva We Digital Agency Project manager, Expeditions administration Oybek Karimov We Digital Agency, Art director Branding supervising, case film narration voice over, case presentation design Elbek Nurmukhamedov We Digital Agency, Designer Design of digital materials Timofey Vorojcov We Digital Agency Designer, Design of digital materials Denis Eliseev Independent creative consultant Case consulting Andrey Chubko Xurmo Production, Videographer Backstage Tigran Avakov Crave, Lead Developer Website development and CMS integration Zaynab Soyokulova Crave, Graphic Designer and Content Manager Ornaments digitalization and content packaging supervising Veronika Kim Crave, Graphic Designer Ornaments digitalization and mockup design Kamola Izzatulloyeva Crave, Graphic Designer Ornaments digitalization and mockup design Gavkhar Akhmedjanova Crave, Graphic Designer Ornaments digitalization and mockup design Alexandra Berngardt Crave, Graphic Designer Ornaments digitalization and mockup design Olga Kerimova Crave, Multidisciplinary artist Creative collaboration, ornaments digitalization and mockup design Non-State-owned educational institution FOCUS FILM & THEATRE SCHOOL in Tashkent with the support of the Government of Switzerland Kamron Khisrovdinov TBC Bank Uzbekistan, Videomaker and photographer Content editing Aleksandra Selivanova We Digital Agency, Creative lead Creative and copywriting supervising Malika Obidova We Digital Agency, Copywriter Copywriting David Mathevosyan We Digital Agency, Motion designer Social media content creation Ivan Gorshkov We Digital Agency, Motion designer, composer Case film editing and soundtrack Timur Tugaev We Digital Agency, Designer Case digital image design Samandar Samadov We Digital Agency, Strategist Case film voice over Aziza Muminova Freelancer Case copywriting and structure Malika Baratova We Digital Agency, Strategist Case film voice over and translation Malika Kambarova We Digital Agency, Creator Case film content management Sojida Ibragimova Uztelecom, PR manager Creative collaboration Dilnoza Rasulova Uztelecom, Marketing manager Creative collaboration Djakhangir Adilov, Uztelecom Head of Marketing communications department Creative collaboration Abdulaziz Khomidjonov Freelancer, Motion designer, NFT artist Creative collaboration Yekaterina Madjidova Republican Center of Education at the Ministry of People Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan School textbooks co-author Creative collaboration Zamira Rakhmanova Testo, Co-founder Creative collaboration Alina Tsimerman Chaykof, Founder Creative collaboration

Problem Uzbek culture has been lost for the past decades due to unification of nations in the Soviet Union and then globalization. ​ The Uzbek visual code has been confused. ​When searching for Uzbek ornaments, wrong results appeared, showing Soviet-made, Turkish, Iranian and other patterns. But not Uzbek. Brands, designers and creators, getting irrelevant results of search engines, misused and misrepresented them as Uzbek patterns. ​ There is a great demand for national identification in Uzbekistan. Due to changes in the country, Uzbeks strive to revive their cultural heritage. However, not a single digital library of traditional ornaments of Uzbekistan was ever available.  Knowledge of Uzbek traditional ​ornaments is passed down from generation to generation. Now, craftsmen are the ones keeping this visual language that may cease to exist at any moment along with the aged artisans. Solution The first digital bank in Uzbekistan digitized the visual heritage by collecting genuine ornaments of Uzbekistan into a single public database to preserve their originality, categorize and describe their history, meanings and ways of use. The project team conducted a series of expeditions to the 10 cities of Uzbekistan: visited 8 national museums, 16 cultural centers and applied arts workshops, talked to craftsmen and documented all materials.  As a result, more than 200 ornaments were digitized and uploaded to an open website with descriptions by a doctor of Arts, so other brands and designers could use these ornaments for free in their branding and projects.  The project is ongoing and eventually more than 1,000 ornaments from all regions of Uzbekistan will appear on the website. Results  Now search engines return genuine Uzbek ornaments. Over 30 brands and non-profits with a total audience of more than 12 million people (⅓ of the population of Uzbekistan), started using ornaments. The largest mobile operator designed more than 2 million SIM cards and carried out a national advertising campaign with ornaments. State authorities started to use ornaments to brand local events. Several HoReCa brands designed special packaging. Digital artists created NFTs, fashion creators used ornaments to design their clothing collections. Some ornaments were produced as 3D tactile perception models for use by blind and visually impaired people. Ornaments were included in Uzbekistan’s secondary education program. 40+ mentions in media 8M+ reach 61M+ total impressions