Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

The Azerbaijan National Art Museum has unveiled a new permanent exhibition titled "The Generation of the Sixties: Nonconformist Art of Azerbaijan", created in collaboration with bp, Azernews reports.

The project is dedicated to the works of leading figures of the nonconformist art movement, which played a key role in the development of Azerbaijani visual arts in the second half of the 20th century.

At the opening ceremony, speeches were delivered by Joe Cristofoli, regional president of bp for Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye; Shirin Melikova, Director of the National Art Museum and PhD in Art Studies; and Farhad Khalilov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Artists' Union and People's Artist.

They emphasized the importance of the artistic movement that emerged in the 1960s in renewing aesthetic thinking and asserting the freedom of individual creativity in Azerbaijani visual arts. It was noted that nonconformist artists, breaking beyond the ideological constraints of their time, synthesized national artistic traditions with contemporary expressive techniques, introducing new visions and styles into Azerbaijani art. Special attention was given to the importance of preserving this heritage and presenting it to a wide audience, as well as to the role of the new permanent exhibition in providing young generations with historical memory and inspiration for contemporary creativity.

The cultural program of the event featured performances by People's Artist Fidan Hajiyeva and pianist Shahin Yakhyazade, who performed pieces from the global classical music repertoire.

The new exhibition hall was curated by Shirin Melikova, with renovation and design carried out with the support of bp and its partners, and the project implementation handled by Greentech Solutions. Modern museum exhibition principles were applied, with special attention to conceptual and visual presentation.

The museum's collection prominently features works by the pioneers of the nonconformist movement: Mirdzhaavad Javadov, Tofig Javadov, Ashraf Murad, Rasim Babayev, Gorkhmaz Afandiyev, and Fazil Najafov. For a long time, their works were displayed only in a limited format. The new permanent exhibition aims to present their multifaceted artistic legacy more fully, systematically, and in line with modern museum standards. These charismatic masters, rejecting the official ideological frameworks of Socialist Realism, developed visual strategies based on a synthesis of traditional Azerbaijani art and contemporary Western avant-garde trends, laying the foundations for new aesthetic and conceptual explorations in national visual art.

A significant part of the exhibition is dedicated to Mirdzhaavad Javadov, unofficially recognized as the leader of Azerbaijani nonconformist art, whose works are based on mythological thinking, symbolism, and archaic-folklore elements.

Tofig Javadov's works, reflecting industrial motifs and the landscapes of Absheron, are presented as a separate series. Special attention is given to Gorkhmaz Afandiyev, the group's ideologist and theoretical author, and to Rasim Babayev, whose works draw inspiration from Azerbaijani mythology, legends, and fairy tales. Among the nonconformists, Ashraf Murad stands out for his primitivist aesthetics, concise forms, and grotesque expressiveness, with monumental figures set against deep black backgrounds to create dramatic effect. Sculptor Fazil Najafov's works, based on national and global mythological motifs, are noted for their inner energy and philosophical depth.

The exhibition also features a video project by Orkhan Huseynov, a representative of the contemporary generation of artists. As a multimedia artist, he creates a creative associative dialogue with the nonconformists, highlighting the continuity of generations in Azerbaijani art.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.