BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 29. 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.
This immersive event will transform Baku into a living stage for contemporary creativity, dialogue, and discovery. Special attention will be devoted to the ecological situation in the oceans and seas, conveyed through the language of art. The festival’s central theme, water, symbolizes life, renewal, and sustainable development. Water, as a symbol of resilience, renewal, and collective memory, has been chosen as the key element of Art Weekend, fostering a meaningful dialogue with the international art world.
One of the most intriguing programs, created specifically for Art Weekend by Firuza Sultan-zadeh, the head of the Socio-ecological center "EcoSphere" and the director of the Republican Children and Youth Development Center under the Ministry of Science and Education, is titled "Four Seas of Paratethys." This immersive program, designed for children and their parents, brings together multiple locations and creative directions.
Sultan-zadeh observed that the aim of the program is to weave together the threads of creativity, education, and environmental consciousness, where this harmonious blend seeks to illuminate the minds of the younger generation, guiding them to appreciate the intricate dance of culture and nature, all while nurturing their artistic talents.
"Children will not just be observers, but full participants," she said.
Participants will set sail on a creative voyage through four harbors of inspiration, navigating the currents of melody, imagery, knowledge, and discovery, where every pause along the journey will unveil a tapestry of distinct and captivating experiences.
The journey will begin at the Republican Children and Youth Development Center, where participants will receive special “art cruise passports” listing all four destinations to be visited.
“Here, guests will find themselves in an atmosphere of science and creativity, joining professionals, artists, sculptors, landscape designers, and researchers for various experiments and workshops. For instance, they will create theatrical masks, paint, listen to the sounds of the sea, learn about whales and dolphins, and explore water-related issues,” she added.
The second port will be the Azerbaijan State Museum of Art, located near the Center. At the museum, kids will rub elbows with artists and dive headfirst into an interactive and immersive tour. They'll get the lowdown on how artists paint the town with water and how it can be brought to life through a splash of artistic vision. We're rolling out the red carpet for masterclasses on watercolor painting and monotype, a graphic art technique that will surely tickle your creative fancy! In the grand hall, a cornucopia of animated and documentary films about water, environmental protection, and marine life will be on display, showcasing a feast for the eyes and a treasure trove of knowledge.
The third port will be the Muslim Magomayev State Philharmonic Hall. The Hall will host a performance by the Gara Garayev State Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Honored Artist Eyyub Guliyev will perform short pieces by global and national composers dedicated to water. Children will engage with the orchestra, ask questions, and even conduct, turning the performance into an immersive theater experience.
The last stop on this journey will be the breezy open-air spot featuring a fountain, nestled close to School No. 6 and right next to the Philharmonic Hall.
“For the closing stage, we even purchased inflatable pools and cushions. There will be large cubes for street art, where children can paint with water-based colors and erasable markers, depicting seas and rivers. Together with the State Puppet Theater, a special immersive performance will be held, where children will act alongside the puppets they created during workshops. Most importantly, attention will be drawn to the four seas, the Black, Caspian, Azov, and Aral, each with its own character, history, and environmental challenge. This will all be presented through creative and associative forms. I am sure this program will remain in the children’s memory for a long time, helping them associate the world around them with creativity, music, and the unifying power of art and ecology that keeps our planet alive,” said Sultan-zadeh.
Admission is free. Registration is available at https://bakuartweekend.az/az/register/
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