Contemporary energies from Azerbaijan. Interview with Aida Mahmudova

Contemporary energies from Azerbaijan Author: Barbara Dudás Published on: 14.10.2014 http://artguideeast.com/main-news-stream/2014/10/14/yarat-azerbaijan/ YARAT is a unique non-profit contemporary art organization in Baku that serves as a lively platform of contemporary art both from Azerbaijan and from the Caucasus region. This year the organization was invited to present an exhibition in the framework of VIENNA Focus at VIENNAFAIR The New Contemporary. On this occasion ArtGuideEast asked Aida Mahmudova, artist and founding director of the organization to introduce YARAT and its programs. Barbara Dudás: What is the history of the organization, when was it established and how has the project developed since then? Aida Mahmudova: I founded YARAT – which means CREATE in Azerbaijani – in 2011 with the overall aim to establish a hub for the numerous talented artists from and outside of Azerbaijan. A place for creativity, an organization that provides space for exhibitions and helps artists to develop further. In the past three years we realized more than 80 projects within the framework of the organization. The main focus has always been on exhibitions of course. The first few shows were organized at different locations in order to introduce YARAT and contemporary art in general to the local audience; later we started to address international audiences as well, especially through participations at international art fairs. Last year was a turning point for us; we organized a huge international exhibition – entitled Love Me, Love Me Not – at the 55th Venice Biennale as a collateral event, featuring artists not only from Azerbaijan but also from Iran, Turkey, Russia and Georgia. After Venice the project was shown in Baku as well, at the very prestigious Heydar Aliyev Center, designed by Zaha Hadid. In 2012 we established a commercial space, YAY Gallery too, as part of the organization. Even though it is a commercial gallery, it serves non-commercial purposes; all its profit is shared between the artists and YARAT. We host there six exhibitions per year with local and international artists, to raise awareness in the local scene on what is going on outside and also to promote local contemporary art and to foster the local art market. Besides the exhibitions, we are organizing public art festivals – we have hosted two so far and now we are preparing for the third one – and film festivals. Also we put

huge emphasis on our educational program, because I think education is one of the most important elements in building a vivid cultural life. There are different programs every day for various age groups, from small children to art professionals. In our workshops and lectures on master level we try to concentrate on subjects that are not taught at the art universities in Azerbaijan. Even though there is a State Academy of Arts in Baku, their courses are more traditional, so at YARAT we try to bring something new into the scene: video art, photography, installation, new media art, etc. As the organization is now more and more present internationally with various exhibitions, on the local level we are mostly concentrating on educational initiatives, programs. We support the emerging generation of artists in Azerbaijan through our young artist project called ARTIM, which means PROGRESS. Its aim is to give the younger generation opportunities to exhibit their works in a professional context.

Orkhan Huseynov - Atelier Sovetsky, video installation, 2014. Courtesy of the artist and YARAT BD: In the 'VIENNAFAIR focus' section YARAT introduced a curated project entitled The Poetics of Ordinary, featuring three artists’ – Sanan Aleskerov, Orkhan Huseynov and Aida Mahmudova – reflections to one of the most impoverished districts’ of Baku called Sovetsky. How did you choose this subject? AM: The curatorial program was based on the idea of change, generally speaking. It was applied to the reconstruction and redevelopment of the city of Baku – which

is my home city – and to this certain district Sovetsky (meaning Soviet). Baku is changing very rapidly, it is developing and expanding faster and faster, which is great. It was always beautiful, but now it is cleaner, renovated, it is very pleasant to be there. But at the same time, the not-so-fancy areas of the city are part of us too, part of our culture, even the remains of the Soviet times. It brings up some nostalgia, the rapid environmental change makes you remember. It is not about how to let go of the past, but how not to forget it. Of course you have to move forward, but past should always stay with you. And Sovetsky is a great subject to illustrate it. It is known as a poorer part of the city, since at the end of the 19th century mainly workers of the oil industry lived there. However it is also a culturally and ethnically very heterogeneous area that kept its traditions and culture intact even during the Soviet times. The generation that is now very active in the contemporary Azeri art scene grew up in the first decade of the independent Azerbaijan in the 1990s; in their work they often refer to the traditional values of the history of Azerbaijan but from a contemporary perspective. BD: How do you see the position of Azerbaijan in the Caucasus region? What role can YARAT hold there? AM: YARAT is not exclusively focusing on Azerbaijan; it is designed to be an artistic hub for the whole region. We have been building a collection for three years, in which we have artists from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Iran, etc. Through this collection, through the permanent exhibition we are going to host hopefully we will be able to reflect on regional questions, regional artistic movements. We will also have an artist-in-residence program, in which we are going to work closely with artists from our neighbourhood. So what we try to achieve is to become, for the Western world, an artistic hub – a center where tourists, artists, researchers can find everything in one place. Our countries are very similar to each other. The art from the region is also very similar, because we went through the same, historically. We share the same kind of values, traditions – more or less. Iran is very similar to us for example, food-wise as well as culturally. But then we have a lot of similarities with Russia and Georgia too. We are linked together. I think our region has a very special place on the global world map, yet it is quite unknown to the rest of the nations.

Sanan Aleskerov - Untitled, digital print, 2003. Courtesy of the artist and YARAT BD: What’s next? What are your plans for the near future? AM: In 2015 the YARAT Center for Contemporary Art will finally open its doors. It will be a 2,000 square meters space, one floor for the permanent collection of YARAT and another for three temporary exhibitions per year. Also there will be an educational hall for education programs as well as for screenings and performances; and a library and a research center will also be part of the center. Besides this, we are going to participate at the Venice Biennale again next year. As soon as we have the confirmation from the artists – one local and one international – we will announce who we will present there. And as I mentioned earlier we are going to host our third public art festival during the summer.