Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

The official opening of the group exhibition “Grotesque” took place at D’ART Gallery in Baku’s White City on October 31, 2026, as part of the “Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Sense the Future NOW” festival.

Bringing together works by some of Azerbaijan’s most distinguished painters and sculptors, the exhibition is a conceptual art project exploring the artistic language, aesthetic and philosophical dimensions, and diverse manifestations of the grotesque in visual art.

The exhibition features 28 artworks by 14 artists representing different generations and artistic movements in Azerbaijani visual art. The collection includes paintings, graphic works and sculptures by renowned Azerbaijani artists Javad Mirjavadov, Togrul Javadov, Rasim Babayev, Kamal Ahmad, Arif Huseynov, Sirus Mirzazade and Ashraf Heybatov, alongside sculptures by Omar Eldarov, Khanlar Ahmadov, Natiq Aliyev, Zakir Ahmadov, Mahmud Rustamov, Nureli Shahbazov and Khagan Ahmadov.

The opening ceremony featured addresses by Dilarə Muzaffarli, founder and director of D’ART Gallery, art historian and curator of the exhibition; People's Artist of Azerbaijan Arif Huseynov; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brazil to Azerbaijan Bernard Jorge Leopold de Garcia Klingl; Rafael Gulmammadov, head of the Baku Art Centre; and exhibition coordinator Sofio Dvalishvili.

In her opening remarks, Dilarə Muzaffarli welcomed the guests and introduced the project's concept, outlining the aesthetic and philosophical significance of the grotesque in visual art and its various manifestations in Azerbaijani artistic traditions.

She explained that the subject is closely connected to her academic research, highlighting the integration of theoretical scholarship and curatorial practice as one of the exhibition's defining features.

According to the curator, the project's central objective is to explore the different artistic possibilities of the grotesque in the works of prominent Azerbaijani artists and bring together creations from different historical periods and artistic movements within a unified conceptual framework.

Muzaffarli also expressed her special appreciation to Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and founder and head of the IDEA Public Union, whose vision inspired the festival. She thanked Aliyeva for her attention to the project and continued support for the arts and creative initiatives.

The curator emphasised the importance of international cultural platforms in promoting Azerbaijani art and introducing the work of local artists to wider audiences.

Speaking at the ceremony, People's Artist of Azerbaijan Arif Huseynov highlighted D’ART Gallery's contribution to promoting Azerbaijani visual art, preserving the creative legacy of artists and showcasing works representing different generations.

Commenting on the exhibition's theme, he described the grotesque as a distinctive artistic language and praised the initiative to explore its manifestations through the works of Azerbaijani painters and sculptors.

Brazil's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Bernard Jorge Leopold de Garcia Klingl, spoke about the universal language of art, noting striking similarities between the works on display and Brazilian modernism.

“Art has no language. I see many similarities with Brazilian modernism in this exhibition. The paintings are incredibly vivid and colourful, characterised by great energy, dynamism and powerful expression. They are truly beautiful works of art. Seeing these pieces on display was a very pleasant surprise for us, as this artistic style is particularly close to the aesthetic sensibilities and spirit of the Brazilian people. I am delighted to be here,” the ambassador said.

Rafael Gulmammadov, head of the Baku Art Centre, shared his views on the emergence and development of Azerbaijani avant-garde art, its place in the country's national visual arts tradition and the ways in which grotesque aesthetics have found expression in the works of individual artists.

Concluding the opening ceremony, exhibition coordinator Sofio Dvalishvili spoke about the organisational and exhibition-related aspects of the project, highlighting its significance in bringing together different artistic disciplines and generations of creative talent.

The conceptual foundation of “Grotesque” draws on curator Dilarə Muzaffarli's academic research into the artistic characteristics and expressive possibilities of the grotesque in visual art.

Theoretical ideas developed through her scholarly research have been translated into a visual and curatorial experience, allowing audiences to explore new interpretations of the phenomenon through original works of art.

Presented as the first conceptual group exhibition dedicated to the grotesque in Azerbaijani visual art, the project brings together its diverse manifestations systematically and comprehensively.

In visual art, the grotesque is an artistic method through which reality is reimagined by exaggerating, distorting and transforming forms, colours, compositions and imagery. It creates a distinctive meeting point between the real and the fantastic, the ordinary and the extraordinary.

The distortion of human figures, satire, irony, symbolism and elements of the absurd are among the principal artistic devices shaping the exhibition's conceptual direction.

These expressive techniques allow artists to interpret the world from unconventional perspectives, reveal meanings hidden beneath the surface of visible reality and create imagery that challenges audiences to think beyond conventional perceptions.

The exhibition demonstrates that the grotesque is more than a formal or aesthetic category. It is a multilayered artistic phenomenon that reflects an artist's worldview, creative thinking and individual relationship with reality.

The “Grotesque” exhibition will remain open to visitors at D’ART Gallery until November 7, 2026.