Jadids: Letters to Turkestan was an immersive video installation spanning six large rooms and more than 35 projectors. The exhibition told the story of the Jadids, a progressive movement that emerged in Central Asia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, advocating for education, social reform, gender equality and cultural renewal.

During the 1920s, many young Jadids travelled to Europe to study, hoping to bring their newfound knowledge home and help build a more progressive and equitable society. On their return, many were imprisoned and subsequently killed by the Soviet authorities, who increasingly viewed the movement and its ideas as a threat. It is a story with tragic parallels that continue to resonate around the world today.

I was brought in as Creative Director to design and curate the immersive walk-through experience, as well as produce all of the video content for projection. The project led to a close collaboration between architecture and set design studio SHSH and AV technology company Blue-i Group, bringing together spatial design, archive, interviews, animation and moving image across the installation.

The exhibition ran for over 12 months in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.