BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 28. Azerbaijan's Baku will host the grand festival "Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Sense the Future NOW," bringing together art, culture, and ecology from October 31 through November 2, Trend reports.
The project is organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the IDEA Public Union in partnership with the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, with Vice President of the Foundation and founder of IDEA, Leyla Aliyeva, as the project’s initiator.
The immersive festival is set to turn the city on its head, creating a vibrant playground for contemporary creativity, lively dialogue, and eye-opening discovery, all while keeping the spotlight on the oceans and seas as expressed through art. The heart of the matter dives into water as a lifeline, a breath of fresh air, and a beacon of sustainability, all while painting a vivid picture through the brushstrokes of art to shed light on the ecological health of our planet's oceans and seas.
One of the main events will unfold in the 17th-century Underground Bathhouse nestled in Icherisheher, the Old City of Baku. There, a collective exhibition titled "Axar Yaddaş" (“Flowing Memory”) will be showcased, offering a contemporary interpretation of traditional bath culture. Participating artists include Honored Artist Sabina Shikhlinskaya and young talents Nargiz Askarova, Aliya Bayramova, and Timur Zaripovich.
Curator Mansura Mammadaliyeva noted that the exhibition dives deep into the well of tradition, unearthing the rich tapestry of bathhouse culture and history in Azerbaijan, all through the flowing currents of water, memory, and purification.
“In this exhibition, the bathhouse appears not only as a physical space but also as a bearer of social relations, personal memories, and cultural continuity. The artists’ works portray the bathhouse as a space of flowing memory that connects generations and experiences, fostering collective identity and reinterpreting historical and cultural heritage,” Mammadaliyeva told Trend.
Sabina Shikhlinskaya is set to roll out a video installation called Hamam (Bathhouse), which first saw the light of day in 2006 and has made quite the splash in around 15 countries. The endeavor delves into the sacred dance of cleansing, harmonized with the melodic whispers of Nostalgia, crafted by renowned composer and People’s Artist Faraj Karayev.
“Historically, the bath symbolized not only physical but also spiritual cleansing, helping people draw closer to the mysteries of existence. The installation combines visual imagery representing water, purification, and transformation with the meditative atmosphere of traditional rituals. My work also aims to preserve the national heritage that must be cherished and protected,” Shikhlinskaya said.
Artist Nargiz Askerova will present a unique nano video art piece titled "Su kimi ol" (Be Like Water), exploring the cultural and symbolic dimensions of water. She paints water as a nurturing river, flowing with the essence of existence, a vessel brimming with the echoes of heritage, and a shimmering mirror reflecting the alchemy of renewal and metamorphosis.
“The piece reflects the transparency, softness, and resilience of water through visuals captured with an electron microscope.
The fluidity of water intertwines with the human inner world, inviting viewers to a calm yet profound emotional experience.
The bathhouse represents more than a place of hygiene; it is where water transforms into a sacred space for the purification of body, soul, and memory. Here, water represents both physical and spiritual purification, a ritual element preserving collective memory and restoring personal identity,” Askerova explained.
Admission to the exhibition is free. Registration is available at bakuartweekend.az.
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