In the relentless current of New York City, where attention is the most contested currency and the visual landscape is dominated by the rapid-fire flicker of the vertical scroll, artist Aylin Alakbarli is practicing the art of the pause. Her work does not demand a viewer’s attention through volume or speed; instead, it invites a deliberate slowing down, transforming the moving image into a vessel for memory, intimacy, and reflection.
Alakbarli’s approach is defined by a rare intellectual duality. Long before she entered the studios of the Yale School of Art, she was trained in the rigorous, empirical world of Geophysical Engineering at the French-Azerbaijani University. This foundation in scientific precision—the study of the earth’s hidden structures and subterranean rhythms—now informs her artistic intuition. The result is a practice that blends the methodical with the visceral, allowing her to navigate the intersection of design, animation, and visual systems with a disciplined yet emotive hand.
For Alakbarli, the moving image is not merely a medium but the most complete artistic language available. This proves where sound, rhythm, gesture, and time converge to create atmospheres that a static image cannot sustain. “I’m interested in emotions and atmospheres that cannot fully exist in a static image alone,” she explains. “A tiny gesture, a pause, or the pacing between scenes can completely change meaning.”
The Architecture of Gesture and Memory
Central to Alakbarli’s philosophy is the belief that the human body is a profound carrier of memory. In pieces such as Far Nearer and Figures for Marimba, movement is stripped of its narrative urgency and treated as a primary source of truth. She focuses on the “space between control and instinct,” where a repetitive action or a subtle shift in posture conveys more than spoken language ever could.
This focus on the minute—the untying of a braid or a sluggish turn away from the lens—allows her to explore themes of vulnerability and transformation. By emphasizing the pacing of a gesture, Alakbarli forces the viewer to linger with an emotion, resisting the modern impulse to skip forward. This commitment to “softness as strength” challenges the sharp edges of a digital culture that often prioritizes instant gratification over genuine presence.
Her lineage is rooted in the pioneers of media art. She draws a direct line from her work to Nam June Paik, who viewed technology as something deeply human and playful, as well as the immersive, slow-motion explorations of Bill Viola and the symbolic physical presence found in the work of Shirin Neshat. By building on these legacies, Alakbarli positions her work as a contemporary resistance to fragmented attention.
From Ancient Palaces to Digital Billboards
The versatility of Alakbarli’s vision is most evident in the disparate environments where her work has been staged. One of her most poignant explorations, How to Destroy Language, was exhibited at the Palace of Shirvanshahs, a 15th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site in Azerbaijan. The juxtaposition of contemporary media art within the country’s oldest palace created a dialogue between historical endurance and cultural fragility.
In this piece, Alakbarli utilizes a grid to compartmentalize activities, symbolizing the systems of power that categorize and control human expression. The work serves as a meditation on cultural erasure, suggesting that when language is disrupted, the collective history and identity of a people become fragmented.
In stark contrast to the quiet halls of the Palace of Shirvanshahs, Alakbarli recently brought her work to the sensory overload of Times Square. Her 15-second animation, Metamorphosis, was displayed on a digital billboard through ZAZ10TS, a gallery dedicated to contemporary digital art. In a space defined by advertising and frantic speed, the fluid, evolving forms of Metamorphosis created a deliberate tension.
“Times Square is associated with speed, advertising, and sensory overload,” Alakbarli notes. “Presenting a quieter and more contemplative work there created an intriguing tension between intimacy and spectacle.”
| Work | Medium/Venue | Core Theme |
|---|---|---|
| How to Destroy Language | Moving Image / Palace of Shirvanshahs | Cultural erasure and systemic control |
| Metamorphosis | Animation / Times Square (ZAZ10TS) | Fluid identity and transformation |
| Mavi | Animation / International Festivals | Childhood imagination and emotional warmth |
| Far Nearer | Moving Image | The body as a carrier of memory |
The Poetics of the Dreamstate
While much of her work deals with the weight of history and identity, Alakbarli also explores the lightness of imagination. Her award-winning animation Mavi, which has screened at over a dozen international festivals, follows the dreamlike journey of the moon and her cat. Drawing inspiration from the whimsicality of Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro and the surrealism of Remedios Varo’s Star Maker, Mavi serves as a testament to the enduring power of childhood wonder.
Across all these works, Alakbarli’s objective remains the same: to create a sanctuary for observation. In an era where we consume thousands of images daily, her art functions as a necessary intervention, reminding the viewer that warmth, texture, and emotional resonance are not opposite to rigor, but are the ultimate expressions of it.
As she continues to develop her practice in New York, Alakbarli remains focused on the evolving relationship between the human spirit and the screens that mediate our lives. Her upcoming projects will continue to explore the boundaries of time-based media and the visceral power of the moving image.
For more information on her current exhibitions and portfolio, visit aylin.works.
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