Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

As part of the "Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Sense the Future NOW" art festival, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in partnership with the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, which aims to unite art, culture, and ecology, more than 10 exhibitions will open in various galleries across the capital from October 31 to November 2, Azernews reports.

These exhibitions will form the core of the festival.

On October 31, the official opening of the joint project by the UN and IDEA will take place, featuring the exhibitions "My Seas, My Oceans" by one of the most renowned masters of the 20th and 21st centuries, Colombian artist and sculptor Fernando Botero. His recognizable style has transformed the perception and vision of the human body. The exhibition, which will be open for art enthusiasts from November 1–2 at the Heydar Aliyev Center, will also include works by leading Azerbaijani artists on the themes of environmental responsibility and sustainable development.

Six other exhibitions will be held in Icherisheher. The exhibition "Flowing Memory" (Axar yaddaş), which will take place at the Underground Bath from October 31 to November 2, explores the multilayered semantics of bath culture in Azerbaijan within the context of the concepts of water, memory, and purity. In the works of contemporary artists Sabina Shikhliyskaya, Nargiz Asgarova Ramizgizi, Aliya Bayramova, and Timur Zaripov, the bath is reimagined as a flowing space of memory that connects the past to the present, as a place of collective identity linking generations through experience.

At the exhibition "Dew. A Morning That Never Was" (Şeh. Heç vaxt olmayan səhər) at the Shirvanshahs' Palace (October 31 – November 2), artist Vusala Agharaziyeva compares the Shirvanshahs' Palace to a contemplative space that becomes the delicate, thoughtful moment between night and dawn.

The exhibition "Ancestors" (Əcdadlar) brings together leading contemporary Azerbaijani artists Faig Ahmad, Rashad Alakbarov, Orkhan Huseynov, and Farid Rasulov to explore one of humanity's most profound concepts—the unbreakable connection between us and those who lived before us. This exhibition will take place from October 31 to November 2 at the QGallery Baku in Icherisheher.

"The Pistachio Tree: Roots of Memory" (Fıstıq ağacı: Yaddaşın kökləri) is the title of an exhibition that will be held at the Maksud Ibrahimbayov Creativity Center (November 1–2). This multifaceted project combines literature, art, and ecology. Inspired by Maksud Ibrahimbayov's monodrama "The Pistachio Tree," the exhibition deeply explores universal themes such as memory, belonging, and continuity through the lens of Azerbaijani storytelling.

As part of the project "Fly to Baku: Fluid State" (Bakıya uçuş: Axın halı), a collection of works by eight artists inspired by the fountains in the center of the city will be displayed at the Baku Photography House in Icherisheher (November 2–3). Each piece tells a personal or public story about a specific location. The exhibition focuses on the role of fountains in public spaces in Baku, their influence on the formation of the city's identity and communities, as well as the potential of these places to shape a new vision, perception, and possible future of Baku.

A new series of works by Ramina Saadatkhan titled "Fire, Water, and Kisses" (Od, su və öpüşlər) will be presented at the Nine Senses Art Center from October 31 to November 2.

The project "Once Upon the Caspian", curated by Zahra Mammadova, is both an artistic journey and an invitation to rediscover water and ourselves. The exhibition will take place at the YARAT Contemporary Art Space on November 2–3.

From October 31 to November 2, the Azerbaijan National Art Museum will host the exhibition "100th Anniversary of Tofig Javadov", dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the prominent representative of the Absheron school and one of the most important figures in Azerbaijani realism, artist Tofig Javadov (1925–1985). Moreover, works by participants of the Baku Steel Art International Metal Symposium will be displayed at the Seaside National Park. Elvin Nabizade's kinetic installation "The Last Wave" (Sonuncu dalğa) will be exhibited for two days at the Stone Chronicle Museum.

Along with the exhibitions, the festival program includes masterclasses, public art projects, and city tours.

On November 1–2, masterclasses by Giuseppe Carta will take place at the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts. On these days, the academy will also hold open house days.

The "ABOVE" project, led by Asmar Babayeva, takes visitors beyond the walls of galleries, inviting them into the studios of leading contemporary sculptors and artists in Azerbaijan. This exclusive experience offers a rare opportunity to see the places where ideas are born and transformed into art. Visitors will have the chance to witness the creative process firsthand, interact with the artists, and learn how the combination of tradition and innovation is shaping the country's evolving art scene.

Those wishing to participate in the events and be part of the three-day vibrant art festival must register on the website www.bakuartweekend.az.