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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