BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 23. bp, on behalf of its partners in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Shah Deniz and South Caucasus Pipeline projects - SOCAR, TPAO, LUKOIL, SGC, NICO, MOL, INPEX, ExxonMobil, ITOCHU, ONGC Videsh, Eni, MVM and TotalEnergies, has announced the successful completion of an important social project aimed at supporting the promotion of the non-conformist movement in Azerbaijani fine arts that emerged in the 1960s, Trend reports.
As part of the project, bp and its partners have financed the renovation and modernization of special exhibition halls at the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art dedicated to the display of works by the country’s prominent non-conformist artists.
The renovation work is aimed at improving both the aesthetic and functional characteristics of the halls, installing modern lighting systems and preparing wall surfaces accordingly, ensuring the display and storage of these valuable works in optimal technical and visual conditions in accordance with international museum standards.
As part of the project, 800 square meters of walls, 400 square meters of ceilings, and 330 square meters of floors were renovated, and advanced lighting systems were installed for at least 150 works of art, and 150 new wooden frames were prepared in accordance with museum standards.
Works by 20th-century Azerbaijani non-conformist artists form a significant part of the museum’s collection. The nonconformist visual art movement, active from the 1960s to the 1980s, was formed as a movement against the restrictions imposed by the socialist realism of the Soviet era, rejecting it and making a significant contribution to the creation and development of the Absheron School of Art. Among the leading representatives of the movement are world-famous artists Mirjavad Mirjavadov, Ashraf Murad, Tofig Javadov, Rasim Babayev, Gorkhmaz Efendiyev, Kamal Ahmad, and the main representative of avant-garde sculpture, Fazil Najafov.
bp's Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, Gio Cristofoli made a speech at an event held at the National Museum of Art today to mark the public launch of the project.
"We are proud to support initiatives aimed at preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of Azerbaijan.
The project we are presenting today directly contributes to the promotion of the Azerbaijani non-conformist school of fine arts.
One of the gratifying moments is that the museum's thoroughly renovated halls are now equipped with the necessary equipment to adequately present the magnificent heritage of Azerbaijani non-conformist artists, which allows these unique works to be presented to visitors in their fullness and aesthetic beauty. The renovated halls and installed modern equipment serve to make the amazing beauty of this cultural heritage more vivid, and to make these valuable works more accessible to the public in all their magnificence of all their shades and subtleties. We hope that this project will be a significant contribution to giving the creativity of non-conformist artists the high appreciation they deserve, both in the country and internationally," he emphasizedş
The project, with a total value of 358,089 manat ($210,640), was implemented by Greentech Solutions LLC.
bp has been operating major oil and gas exploration, development, and transportation projects in Azerbaijan for 33 years, and has successfully implemented these projects in a safe, efficient, and reliable manner. To date, bp, together with its partners, has invested more than $87 billion in projects it has implemented in the country. In Azerbaijan, we are committed to supporting sustainable development initiatives by focusing on areas where we believe we can make the most contribution.
bp’s extensive social investment activities and skills development efforts in the country have brought significant benefits to people, improving and transforming their lives.
The company’s social investments focus on areas such as local capacity building, education, community development, local entrepreneurship, the environment, increasing sports potential, and exploring and promoting the country’s rich cultural heritage. Since its inception, bp has spent a total of more than $111 million on social investment projects in the country, on behalf of itself and its operating joint venture partners.
bp employs approximately 2,389 Azerbaijani nationals in Azerbaijan, representing more than 90 percent of the company’s skilled workforce.
Further details on bp and its partners’ social investment projects can be found here: www.bp.com/azerbaijan.
