Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

The 56th International Art Exhibition is underway in Italy from May 9 to November 22, 2015.

Works of Azerbaijani artists have been put on display at the exhibition.

Roxane Zand, ‎the deputy chairman at Sothebys shared her impressions of the exhibition, especially the works of Azerbaijani artists.

Leaving Iran after the revolution, Harvard and Oxford-educated Roxane Zand joined Sotheby’s in 2006. She is responsible for developing the firm’s presence and implementation of the company's new strategy in the Middle East and North Africa. Ms Zand has extensive knowledge of the region, having previously worked for UNESCO, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Asia House and the Khalili Collection of Art.

“After 56 editions, you would imagine the Venice Biennale might struggle to offer fresh artistic insights and ideas. But, this year, diversity was the key aspect, with many regional Pavilions from around the world bringing in an array of challenging concepts and perspectives. With my time in Venice as short as the length of my blogs, it was not possible to cover all the MENA Pavilions and participating artists. However, a major attraction was the profiling of Azerbaijan, comprised of no less than three exhibitions, all of which has something important to say,” she said on the Sothebys website.

The Union of Fire and Water, a Collateral Event curated by former Sotheby’s colleague Suad Garayeva, now Curatorial Director of Yarat Contemporary Art Space, was a revelation.

Well researched and founded on the neat concept of the Venice-Baku historical relationship, this show in the magnificent Palazzo Barbaro (former residence of a Venetian ambassador who traveled to and wrote extensively about Azerbaijani cities) simultaneously transported you to Baku and Venice.

She especially notices two artists, Almagul Menilbayeva and Rashad Alakbarov, who were commissioned to explore the interrelation between the cities – which they did both adroitly and expressively. “Play on projected shadows, reflections and mirrors hinted at mirages: illusion was manipulated to convey symbols and political messages,” she said.

During the exhibition Roxane had a chance to talk with Suad who said, “The most important aspect of the exhibition is how the artistic installations work together with the Palazzo Barbaro to take the viewer on a journey of discovery.”

Roxane’s favorite was the clever faux-window projections that opened onto Azerbaijani seascapes with oil production in the background.

The second Azerbaijani initiative project was Vita Vitale, which, as Roxane described “through the work of an array of artists from around the world, including Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, examined the delicate balance of our planet’s ecosystem and the human impact on the natural world.”

Curated by Artwise, this project involved multi-media works and installations by well-known names, such as Julian Opie and Andy Warhol, drawing the attention to our own integral roles in both the disruption and preservation of ecology.

Lastly, Beyond the Line, curated by Simon de Pury, showcased the work of such talented Soviet period non-conformist artists as Javad Mirjavadov, Ashraf Murad, Rasim Babayev and Huseyn Hagverdi.

“During his tenure at Sotheby’s, De Pury had extensive exposure to art from that region, and with his keen eye, has been able to make a significant modernist selection that melds strong painterly and visual artistry with political messaging. Ashraf Murad’s portraits are nothing short of arresting, and Mirjavadov’s riot of colors has the impact of strong abstract expressionism,” she said about the work.

“For those like me, left with the yearning to return to some of these fine exhibitions, I would recommend the Azeri shows in order to experience an overarching perspective – from the elegant historic framing of The Union of Fire and Water, to the visual imagery of the modernist epoch in Beyond the Line, and the very contemporary messaging of ecological concerns in Vita Vitale,” the deputy chairman said.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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