Azernews.Az

Berlin's well-known exhibition hall "Collectors room" has hosted the opening ceremony of modern Azerbaijani art exhibition Fly to Baku.

The event was co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Azerbaijani Embassy in Germany and Baku International magazine.

The Foundation's Vice President Leyla Aliyeva attended the opening ceremony, which brought together German cultural and public figures and guests from numerous countries, the state news agency AzerTag reported.

Addressing the event, Leyla Aliyeva, who is also editor-in-chief of Baku International, said the exhibition has been held in a number of capitals so far, including London and Paris, where it sparked great interest.

Mrs. Aliyeva said the exhibition featured 94 paintings, works of graphics, sculpture, photography and videos by 21 authors.

Aliyeva noted that independent Azerbaijan was a relatively young country.

"Last year we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the restoration of our independence," she said. "Despite the fact that our country is so young, we have an ancient history. Azerbaijan is the first country in the Muslim East where women gained the right to vote in 1918, where the first school for Muslim girls was built in 1901. Azerbaijan is also the first country in the East to stage opera and ballet.

"Azerbaijan is a country where different cultures, nations and religions live in peace as one family. We are very proud of this fact. There is no doubt that art is a significant part of Azerbaijan`s life and culture. I invite each of you to Azerbaijan. Come and discover our country," Aliyeva said.

Curator of the exhibition, Herve Mikaeloff, and president of the Liszt School of Music Weimar, Christoph Stolzl, said Fly to Baku exhibition had greatly contributed to promoting Azerbaijan's rich cultural legacy.

Udo Steinbach, Director of the Governance Center Middle East and North Africa, praised the exhibition, saying it played an important role in developing the cultural relations between Germany and Azerbaijan.

The exhibition will run until November 17.