NEWS

Azerbaijan is known to us primarily due to the bitter conflicts in the Caucasus region. Less well known, however, is that Azerbaijan exists twofold: there is the Republic of Azerbaijan (a republic of the former Soviet Union, independent since 1991), and the region of Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran. The two border one another, and both lie on the shore of the Caspian Sea. In the Republic as well as in the region in Iran the same language is spoken. The people also share the same culture, which includes a long tradition of exquisite carpet making, fantastic literature, and their own unique music.

But among the Azerbaijani there are also extraordinary contemporary visual artists. Most of them studied in their homelands, where they also live and work. Some, however, are internationally active and have residences and studios in, for example, Germany, France, or Great Britain. Their paintings, sculptures, and installations on exhibit at the Kunststation Kleinsassen as part of this year's summer program are a true revelation. The prevailing narrative joy, lustrous colors, and ornamental elegance reveal a common foundation originating in the shared tradition of Azerbaijani art and culture. Nevertheless, the influence of the Soviet era can be perceived in the art of the North, as can the influence of Persia in the art of the South. The artists naturally also address the international currents of Modernism and Contemporary Art, and some use their haunting works for social and political discourse, responding to regional and international conflicts even as they hold, with hearty self-irony, a mirror up to both the nations in which they reside as well as to their fellow countrymen. In a figurative sense, the Azerbaijani carpet spans a border and has its ends in two nations and corners of Europe, revealing a side that deals with the traditional as well as one that confronts the contemporary – thus proffering a thousand entanglements and concatenations.

The exhibition of Azerbaijani art currently on display at the Kunststation would not have been possible without the cooperation of the Galerie Berlin Baku, which has exhibition spaces in both capitals. For several years now, the Galerie Berlin Baku has provided exhibition opportunities for Azerbaijani artists, supported artistic contact with artists from other countries, and assisted in an exchange of artists and art students from Berlin and Baku.

Here in Kleinsassen, we are pleased to host this multi-faceted encounter with high-quality art, outstanding artists, and the Azerbaijani culture. The exhibit is complemented by an extensive supporting program that includes fabulous readings, Mugham concerts and culinary delights.




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