The Aral Sea is a place where all the most urgent concerns of today come together. Soil, water, energy, food, textiles and air quality – it can be seen as the live laboratory of the future and can help us rethink what's possible for many generations to come.
The climate crisis is leaving an indelible mark on our ecosystems and bioregions, forcing us to rethink our interdependencies and alliances. North Uzbekistan and the Karakalpakstan area were once home to the vast Aral Sea, a lake in Central Asia that was for most of the 20th century the world’s fourth largest saline lake. In the last fifty years, the lake has dramatically dried up, with a radical increase in salinisation, primarily due to unsustainable irrigation practices linked to intensive, large-scale cotton cultivation. The consequences have irreversibly altered a bioregion and caused the collapse of an ecosystem, with serious impact on local communities and the region’s ecology, economy, culture, and public health.
The Aral School is an interdisciplinary postgraduate programme that recognises the unique characteristics of this context, as well as the dramatic consequences of this ecosystem’s collapse. In a lucid approach, the school takes these as the starting point to create new and sustainable visions and prototypes for a shared future. The programme brings together international and local participants from Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan to explore innovative solutions for cultural and ecological regeneration. Learning from the traditions, biocultural context, and environmental pressure of the Karakalpakstan region, the programme fosters new ways of learning and collaborating across disciplines.
The first cohort of the Aral School (January–June 2026, 22 participants, half of them international, all based in Nukus for half a year) worked with the themes of food and water, which was a metabolic register: climate and landscape as they are lived daily, at the level of the body and the household — the plate, the well, salt, bread.
The first cohort's questions were: how we design water and food systems that are foundational for any living ecosystem? And how does the landscape enter the human being?
Core research
themes
The two first themes of the Aral School Pilot examine food and water. Two interconnected research topics that are influencing the way we produce and consume food, our livelihood and global biodiversity. We need to develop and speculate new strategies and design new systems to prototype possible futures in order to inspire, building hope. The topics are at the same time our alibi and point of departure to introduce holistic eco-systemic projects that would build a new bioregion from molecular to bioregional scale.
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festival of ideas
Follow the programme on Instagram @aral.school
June 11–13Nukus, Academy of Science
For the past five months, the 22 participants of Aral School, an interdisciplinary bioregioning programme, have been immersed in Karakalpakstan, exploring the geographical, social and cultural terrain of the region. Working through two thematic streams — food and water — participants learned through cooking, tending, teaching, feeding, eating, building, making, drawing, recording, moving, walking, reading, writing, growing and gathering.
As a diverse community of local and international researchers, participants explored the space between vernacular wisdom and latest science, looking for possibilities for transformation. Varied and vast, the emergent ideas reflect an ethos of recognising the soft threshold between nature and culture.
The team
Gayane Umerova is dedicated to developing the culture sector in Uzbekistan.
Head of the Department of Creative Economy and Tourism of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), Gayane Umerova is at the helm of building Uzbekistan’s cultural infrastructure. Her efforts are bringing the nation’s art, artists, and cultural heritage into the global spotlight. Currently, she is overseeing the restoration and development of the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent, poised to become a new cultural hub for the region, and is the commissioner of the Bukhara Biennial (5 September - 20 November 2025). She has spearheaded the inaugural Aral Culture Summit (April 4-6, 2025); is driving the construction of the new Uzbekistan National Museum designed by Tadao Ando and is leading the forthcoming 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference that will take place in Samarkand on 30 October - 13 November 2025. She is the commissioner for the Uzbekistan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale Arte and Architettura since 2021 as well as for Uzbekistan’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka, among other significant projects.
Committed to boosting Uzbekistan’s prominence on the international culture scene, Umerova serves as the Chairperson of the National Commission of Uzbekistan on UNESCO Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers and in April 2025 has been awarded France’s Order of Arts and Literature. Her public service commitment is evident in her dedication to creating opportunities for young people in Uzbekistan’s cultural sector and fostering a cultural economy that unites communities and generations.
Jan Boelen is a curator of design, architecture, and contemporary art. He is the artistic director of Atelier LUMA, an experimental laboratory for design in Arles, France. Boelen studied Product Design at Genk and is the founder and former artistic director of Z33 – House for contemporary art in Hasselt, Belgium. He was founder of the Master Social Design at the Design Academy of Eindhoven till 2020 and Rector of the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design from 2019 till 2023. In 2014 he curated BIO50, the design biennial of Ljubljana in Slovenia. He was curator of the 4th Istanbul Design Biennial in 2018 and initiated Manifesta 9 in Belgium (2012). Lastly, Boelen curated the Lithuanian Pavilion Planet of People in the Venice Architecture Biennial (2021).
Over the years he has been fashioning projects and exhibitions that encourage the visitor to look at everyday objects in a novel manner.
Boelen recently edited Social Matter, Social Design: For Good or Bad, all Design is Social (Valiz, 2020), Muller Van Severen: Dialogue (Walther Koenig, 2021) and Atelier Luma, Bioregional design practices (Luma, 2023). His writing addresses the implications of design in everyday life and how artistic practices can shape the discipline.
Ksenia is a design curator and creative strategist with a focus on circular innovations and regenerative place making. London School of Economics and Stanford graduate, she brings over 15 years of creative leadership and programme management across a variety of impact-driven brands, sectors and organisations.
A journalist by background, she gradually centered her thinking at the intersection of science, design & new technologies, leading one of WPP design & innovation practices in London and NYC. Her subsequent brand leadership of the iconic Design Hotels platform allowed for a greater focus on the topics of Community, Impact & Sustainability and led to her authorship of the first Regenerative Placemaking framework in Travel, widely adopted by the industry since then across the globe. Driven by her interests in sustainable design practices, Ksenia now runs her own design studio, working with impact and climate-driven ventures and organisations on their content, programming and community initiatives.
She is also a curator of the largest climate tech festival in the UK, The Heat, and is focused on supporting a diverse range of pioneering bio design innovations in Fashion, Design and Architecture as part of it.
Khudoyorkhon Abdujabborov is a project manager at the Aral School, responsible for coordinating partnerships, exhibitions, and local implementation across Karakalpakstan. He brings extensive experience in international cultural collaboration, having managed key initiatives for the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, including the exhibition “A Glimpse Through Time: The Legacy of Khudaybergen Devanov” at UNESCO in Paris and the redevelopment of the permanent collection at the State Museum of Arts named after I.V. Savitsky in Nukus. Prior to this, he worked in diplomatic and cultural roles at the Embassy of Poland in Uzbekistan and the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation. He holds a degree in International Relations from Kazan Federal University and is also a laureate of an international circus arts festival, with performance experience in Uzbekistan, Mexico, and the USA.
Gulnara Joldasbaeva is a cultural producer, educator, and local coordinator of the Aral Culture Summit in Karakalpakstan. She curates interdisciplinary events connecting ecology, heritage, and contemporary art. As part of the School, she brings together artists, scientists, and community members to reflect on the Aral Sea crisis through creative formats. In partnership with UNDP, she also launched Bilim, a platform offering programming and language education to young women in underrepresented communities. Her experience in ecological education and local cultural engagement makes her an essential link between artistic content and regional relevance.
Cyril Zammit is an independent advisor and design consultant, with a career devoted to supporting cultural and creative initiatives across the Middle East and Central Asia.
He began his professional journey at the Institut Français in Prague, followed by a role at the Cultural Department of the French Embassy in London. He later moved to Switzerland, where he oversaw international sponsorship for the Montreux Jazz Festival, before taking on cultural sponsorship roles at UBS and HSBC Private Bank.
In 2009, Cyril relocated to the UAE, where he played a key role in launching Abu Dhabi Art, and went on to establish Design Days Dubai and Dubai Design Week. He later served as an advisor to Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, and subsequently joined the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation as a Cultural Affairs Expert in the Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy.
Since March 2022, he has been advising the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation. In 2023, he also became an advisor to L’ÉCOLE Middle East in Dubai and was appointed Design Consultant to the Royal Commission for AlUla. Cyril is also a regular design columnist for Esquire Middle East.
Anastasia Sinitsyna is a researcher and cultural consultant working at the intersection of environmental humanities, design, and education. She is currently based in Venice, Italy, where she coordinates international exhibitions and cultural initiatives, including the Spanish (2023) and Uzbekistan (2022–2025) National Pavilions at the Venice Biennale. Her work focuses on ecological transformation, sustainable futures, and the role of art and education in reimagining cultural and physical landscapes.
Anastasia also leads research and programming for the Aral Culture Summit, a long-term initiative of ACDF aimed at supporting biocultural diversity and ecological regeneration in Karakalpakstan and the broader Aral Sea region.
Mentors & Experts
Alisher Utemisov has extensive experience in international development and diplomatic operations, with technical expertise in project management, climate resilience, sustainable procurement, and economic empowerment. He has been a key figure in designing and implementing multi-dimensional development programs in Uzbekistan, particularly within the challenging environmental context of the Aral Sea region.
Currently, Alisher serves as a Programme Manager for UNDP Uzbekistan, where he leads strategic initiatives in the Republic of Karakalpakstan. His work is centered on building climate-resilient livelihoods through the “One Village One Product” (OVOP) approach and managing large-scale projects focused on ecological restoration. Under his leadership, his team was awarded the 2025 Procura+ Award for "Global Initiative of the Year," recognizing excellence in sustainable public procurement and the delivery of clean water to remote communities.
Prior to his current role, Alisher served as a Project Manager for UNDP’s climate resilience projects, where he successfully introduced innovative agricultural technologies, such as solar-powered irrigation and greenhouse systems, to mitigate the impacts of water scarcity. He has also been instrumental in coordinating with international donors and government stakeholders to align regional development with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Elena Kan is the director of the young NGO “KIVA Center,” dedicated to advancing sustainable development by integrating science, education, research, production, and agribusiness—one of the few civil society organizations of its kind in the Aral Sea region.
With a background in language studies and ecology, Elena has built extensive experience in capacity building for efficient land and water use in agriculture. Among her current engagements is the promotion of effective production and export of alternative, low-resource oilseed crops among farmers and agripreneurs. Elena also collaborates with protected areas to enhance their educational programs and eco-tourism capacities through non-formal learning on natural resource conservation and fostering civic activism for environmental protection. She strives to drive positive changes in both urban and rural areas, contributing to nature conservation and the resilience of local ecosystems and communities through education and collaboration.
Eva Pfannes is a passionate practitioner and frequent keynote speaker who thrives in complex and fast-developing environments with public sector and cultural clients, focusing on benefits for society and the natural environment. She co-founded OOZE architects; urbanists with her partner Sylvain Hartenberg in Rotterdam. “OOZE champions a culture of innovation, inclusion, and integration: radical system thinkers and doers, passionate collaborators leaving no one behind, and catalytic designers fostering innovative interventions for real change, from the smallest community to the world” (Henk Ovink, 2025).
Eva specializes in urban strategies, blue-green infrastructure, and bankable concept developments that mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts with nature-based and culture-based solutions.
For the Dutch Water as Leverage programme, she leads the CITY OF 1000 TANKS alliance in Chennai, developing a water balance model across the city to make the most inclusive, efficient, and economic use of water locally. Água Carioca, an urban circulatory system for Brazil, received the Holcim Prize for Sustainable Development. As co-curator and lead designer for the International Architecture Biennial Rotterdam (IABR), Eva and her team developed a neighbourhood energy transition model prioritizing community ownership, multi-scalar benefits, and actionable implementation frameworks.
Michelle is Socio-economic geographer, policy advisor, and project manager with a strong focus on agroecological transformations. She holds an MSc in Geography with a specialization in socio-economic transformations. She is currently working as a food policy advisor at the Danish environmental NGO 'Rådet for Grøn Omstilling' (Green Transition Denmark).
Her professional background spans research, advisory, and editorial roles across multiple countries and contexts, with the number of co-founded platforms dedicated to the exploration and celebration of sustainable food culture, place-based knowledge, and transformative storytelling (e.g. The Preserve Journal, Entangled Landscapes, KOMPOST Studio).
To the Aral School programme Michells brings strong commitment to grassroots and farmer-driven transformation, and the regeneration and revitalisation of rural landscapes, sustainable agricultural practices, and local communities.
Final selected participants of the Aral School pilot programme
Uzbekistan / Karakalpakstan
Scientific researcher and specialist on GIS and RS. Scientific interests focus on evaluation and monitoring of soil salinization, spatial-temporal analysis of land degradation dynamics and application of RS data for agriculture and ecology.
Uzbekistan / Karakalpakstan
Originally from Uzbekistan, based in Nukus, environmental specialist and biodiversity researcher with experience in ecological monitoring, environmental impact assessments, and interdisciplinary cultural–environmental projects.
USA
Lyla Amini is an Afghan-American young professional and practitioner whose work in Tajikistan encompasses climate-resilient agriculture and conservation, and intersections of ancestral knowledge, ecology, seeds, diaspora, and displacement.
Uzbekistan / Karakalpakstan
Originally from Uzbekistan, based in Nukus, language specialist by background, Masters student with a focus on assessment of knowledge.
India
Based in India, Interactive Media Artist and Photogrammetrist working with indigenous knowledge systems to create cultural impact using cutting-edge 3D tools.
Uzbekistan / Karakalpakstan
Originally from Uzbekistan, based in Nukus, an assistant lecturer at the Institute of Agriculture and Agrotechnologies of Karakalpakstan, with a background in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security.
Uzbekistan / Karakalpakstan
Originally from Nukus, Uzbekistan, architect, graduated in Architecture and Urban Regeneration in Rome, focused on climate-responsive design and ecological adaptation in arid regions.
Uzbekistan / Karakalpakstan
Second-year PhD student in Forestry at the Karakalpak Agricultural Institute. With a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Ecology, interested in deeper solutions around the culture and traditions of Karakalpakstan people.
Uzbekistan / Karakalpakstan
Nukus-based MBA student with experience across two major local initiatives – Agribusiness Development Activity and International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. Also an inventor of vermicompost for agricultural purposes.
Malaysia
Evey Kwong is a design researcher working at the intersection of craft, critical research, and environmental thinking. Born in Malaysia and based in Berlin, her work is rooted in place and practice, using craft as a connective tool between human and other-than-human communities shaped by shared landscapes.
Australia
Based in Melbourne, Australia, Alice Mahar is a food systems advocate, chef, and social entrepreneur, and the Founder and CEO of Corner Store Network, working across Australia and the Asia-Pacific on food security, regenerative agriculture, and community-led responses to climate and ecological change.
Mexico
Martina Manterola is a cultural practitioner based in Mexico. Her practice critically engages with food, ecology, and feminism, challenging conventional ideas and hierarchies.
Australia
Jess Nikitina-Li is a researcher, multimedia artist and producer born and based in Australia. With a background in Anthropology, Jess' work intersects social research, art and community collaboration.
Kazakhstan
An engineer, researcher, data scientist, and educator working across technology, education, and contemporary art. His background includes aerospace engineering, software development, cartography, and urban data analytics. His research interests focus on Central Asia, education, and interdisciplinary approaches to complex planetary-scale challenges.
Uzbekistan / Karakalpakstan
Born in Nukus, studied in Tashkent, geophysicist by background, PhD researcher with a focus on Ecology at the Karakalpak Scientific Research Institute of Natural Sciences.
Uzbekistan / Karakalpakstan
With a Master’s degree in Economics with a specialization in Public Finance and Sustainable Development, originally from Kungrad, located in the Aral Sea crisis zone. Interested in sustainable development, ecological restoration, and community-based solutions, as well as projects that connect economic policy, environmental recovery, and education for the future of the Aral region.
Kazakhstan
Based in Almaty, Central Asia, studied finance in the past and is now an artist reconnecting with nature.
Uzbekistan
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Water environment enthusiast with a background in international relations and public administration.
Germany
Berlin-based designer and researcher working with light and solar processes, exploring ecological futures.
China
From Northern China, raised in the dust and gusts of the Gobi. A researcher and designer interested in the environmental histories and cultural imaginaries of arid lands.
Netherlands
Biological Engineer by training, Creative Technologist by practice; focusing on biodesign as a tool to dismantle systemic fatalism and prototype hopeful futures.
USA
Robert is a PhD student at the University of Vienna studying the anthropology of human-water relations. He worked in grassroots projects in Karakalpakstan for water sustainability and youth advocacy with the World Aral Region Charity.
Aral School Projects
Bio Mektep is an agroecological network in Karakalpakstan connecting communities, local knowledge, and practices. The project develops sustainable food systems and supports ecological adaptation across the region.
Olla is an ancient underground irrigation technique using an unglazed clay pot buried near a plant and filled with water. Through its porous walls it is helping prevent soil salinisation.
The Soap That Was Salt explores the history of soap as a reflection of ecological and industrial transformations in the Aral Sea region.
Ko’Mek reimagines the Aral Sea crisis by viewing water not as a scarce resource, but as the foundation of ecosystems, collective labour, and cultural memory.
Aral 3D is an interactive platform that simulates the transformation of the Aral Sea ecosystem using real data. It allows users to explore how decisions around water management, policy, and climate shape the future of the region.
Shopker Jay (“plant-based house”) is a traditional construction technique from Karakalpakstan based on the use of local natural materials. Because of their climatic properties, these houses were well adapted to the region’s hot and arid environment.
