The opening of the exhibition will take place in the Art Gallery of the Museum Center in Baku on September 26 at 18:00 “The experience of abstract art of Azerbaijani artists“organized by the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan and the Museum Center, the organizers told Day.Az.
Contemporary art of Azerbaijan of the XX-XXI centuries is characterized by several large directions. This is, first of all, socialist realism, embodied in the works of Tair Salakhov, Mikail Abdullaev and many other masters. Another direction is the “Absheron School”, embodied in the works of such artists as Tofig Javadov, Rasim Babayev and their like-minded people. The third direction – underground (unofficial art) is embodied in the works of Gorkhmaz Efendiyev, Ashraf Murad, Javad Mirjavadov and other non-conformists.
These directions are reflected in the works of art historians and experts. A large layer of culture and a major direction of contemporary art in Azerbaijan remained unexplored. This is modern abstract art. The Union of Artists of Azerbaijan decided to start a series of exhibitions of domestic abstract art (using the example of the presented exhibition), as well as to initiate research by art historians in this direction.
Modern abstraction in Azerbaijan is an avant-garde phenomenon. It has deep roots in the Azerbaijani traditional culture of an ancient carpet with abstract geometric ornamental elements. The very structure of carpets, rugs, and kilims is based on abstract geometry. In this sense, the Azerbaijani people carry abstract thinking and experience of abstract visual forms in their cultural matrix of consciousness.
It is interesting that in addition to artists who mainly worked and are working in the field of abstraction (Mir-Nadir Zeynalov and Huseyn Hagverdi), there are also a number of authors who, working in other directions, made isolated experiments in abstraction. Such works are presented at the exhibition using the examples of Kamal Akhmed, Gennady Brizhatyuk, Udzhal Hagverdiev. That is, this format of art worried many Azerbaijani artists. Elchin Aslanov and Ramiz Aslanov created a synthesis of carpet forms and traditional miniatures in a modern form.
This exhibition provides an impetus for further development, both for the practice of artists and for the new theory of art historians, in the direction of abstract art and the expansion of its range. Viewers can expect new discoveries and new exhibitions of Azerbaijani abstract art.
Opening hours of the exhibition: September 27 – 30 from 10.00 to 18.00 (free admission).
Address: city. Baku, Neftchilyar Ave. 49, Museum Center (4th floor)
Phone: 99412 493 58 83, +99450 273 21 80
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