Azerbaijani and international artists to exhibit together at Merging Bridges at Baku MoMA
15 May - 22 Jun 12
The first exhibition to feature British and international artists exhibiting alongside Azerbaijani artists will be shown at the Baku Museum of Modern Art from 15th May 2012, co-curated by Aida Mahmudova, the founder and director of YARAT, and London-based curator Adam Waymouth.
Organised by YARAT, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting contemporary art in Azerbaijan, Merging Bridges will feature acclaimed artists including the world-renowned Sarah Lucas, Keith Coventry, James Turrell, Idris Khan and Olympia Scarry. This extraordinary collection of work will be displayed alongside some of the finest contemporary artists based in Baku including Altai Sadikhzade, Aga Ousseinov, Niyaz Najafov, Rashad Alakbarov and Farid Rasulov.
Founded in October 2011 by Aida Mahmudova YARAT has, through previous projects such as their inaugural exhibition On Soz and the on-going 012 Baku Public Art Festival, sparked an artistic discourse.Merging Bridges will further underline YARAT’s main objective - to encourage dialogue between the global contemporary art community and that of Azerbaijan. The exhibition will coincide with Baku hosting the European Song Contest 2012, which is expected to draw countless visitors to the city, thus bringing the artworks to a wider, international audience.
A specially commissioned installation by the internationally recognized Idris Khan will also be exhibited at Merging Bridges. Co-curator Aida Mahmudova comments: “This is a highly ambitious and fascinating project. Never before have such prestigious international and Azerbaijani artists come together under one roof.
The caliber of artists combines with the unique backdrop, which Baku and the Museum of Modern Art will provide, to make Merging Bridges an unmissable art event for 2012. Adam Waymouth comments: “This is an incredibly exciting exhibition not only because of the caliber of artists that will be on show but because it also underlines Baku’s burgeoning relationship with the international art market. I am really thrilled to be part of this project and to be working alongside an organisation like YARAT”
In October 2011, YARAT's inaugural show On Soz attracted 20,000 visitors in one month. Building on the success of this project, YARAT Launched the 012 Baku Public Art Festival in February 2012. A key objective of YARAT’s is to form dialogue and exchanges with non-commercial art foundations both in Azerbaijan and abroad. YARAT also aims to provide educational initiatives as well as an international art prize.
Aida Mahmudova, the creator and founder of YARAT, trained as an artist at Central Saint Martins, London before returning to Baku. Meeting other artists there, it became clear to Aida that they would benefit from an organisation that promotes Contemporary art in Azerbaijan. This inspired her to start YARAT Through YARAT, Aida aims to provide a platform for Azeri Contemporary artists that will help promote art to a broader national and international audience.
Having studied at the City and Guilds Art School, Adam Waymouth went on to co-found 20 Hoxton Square Projects, where he was the Director for more than four years. In 2011 he founded AdamWaymouthArt, which is a curatorial art consultancy working in conjunction with contemporary artists, museums, galleries and private clients. In the last six months Waymouth has collaborated with Pertwee, Anderson and Gold, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Shelter, Flora Fairbairn Projects, Gazelli Art House, Parasol Unit and Bold Tendencie
Participating Artists:
British and International Artists: James Turrell, Sarah Lucas, Annie Morris, Paul Fryer, Keith Coventry, Alex Hoda, Olympia Scarry, Bruce High Quality Foundation, Ryan Mosley, Jaap de Vries, George Young and Neil Clements.
Azerbaijani Artists: Aga Ousseinov, Altai Sadikhzade, Faig Ahmed, Rashad Alakbarov, Ali Hasanov, Niyaz Najafov, Rashad Babayev, Farid Rasulov, Aida Mahmudova, Orkhan Huseynov, Nazrin Mammadova and Ramal Kazimov.
Exhibition Sponsors:
Italdizain Group: Since its establishment in Baku in 1996, Italdizain Group has engaged in charity work for children's homes and boarding schools, as well as supporting various cultural, mass and sporting events in Azerbaijan, improving the lives of youth and vulnerable strata of society. This year Italdizain is taking the opportunity to support YARAT! Contemporary Art Space with their project Merging Bridges.
Bakcell Telecommunications: Bakcell, The First Mobile Operator and the Leading Mobile Internet Provider of Azerbaijan offers a variety of products for modern mobile communications customers. As one of the largest national non-oil investors, Bakcell today continues making large investments in the economy of Azerbaijan through its investments in state-of-the-art telecommunication technology.
Rapid Solutions: Established in 1996 in Azerbaijan, Rapid Solutions has matured to become one of the premier service and related product suppliers in the Caspian and Middle East regions.
Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan: The State youth policy aims to increase the knowledge and skills of young people, helping them to effectively implement their natural potential. As a part of its mission in 2012 the Azerbaijan Republic Ministry of Youth and Sport supports YARAT Contemporary Art Space with their new project Merging Bridges.
