The Ministry of Tourism of Uzbekistan reported that the international festival of experimental art and creative tourism, YONAR, took place on the territory of the Borsakelmas salt flat in the Kungrad district of the Karakalpakstan Republic, Uzbekistan.
The event was organized by the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan together with the Stikhiya electronic music, art, and science festival. The festival was held approximately 200 kilometers from Nukus and combined contemporary art, creativity, creative industries, and tourism.
The main goal of YONAR was to present the natural landscapes, atmosphere, and tourism potential of Karakalpakstan to an international audience through modern art, as well as to develop new creative tourism products.
Seventy foreign and local participants took part in the festival. They created seven art installations that were integrated into the region's natural landscape. Among the works presented were 'Molecule', 'Android', 'Mirror Cube', 'Purple Parallelepiped', 'Scorpion', 'Double UFO', and 'Purple Mars'.
Festival participants stayed in traditional yurts, and electricity was provided by generators. There was no trade conducted on the festival grounds. Living and creative work conditions were established based on mutual assistance and collective interaction.
After the festival, one of the installations was symbolically burned. After the event concluded, participants completely cleaned the camp area, adhering to ecological principles and demonstrating a careful attitude towards nature.
Holding YONAR on the Borsakelmas salt flat is aimed at developing cultural, creative, and ecological tourism in Karakalpakstan, promoting the region's tourism potential among the global public, and expanding the interaction between modern art and the tourism sector.