The Azerbaijani pavilion has been opened at the Islamic Arts
Biennale, in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, Azernews reports.
The Hajj Terminal at the King Abdulaziz International Airport
has been chosen as the venue for the event, which aims to showcase
the art and creativity of Islamic culture, from both the past and
present. Additionally, it also highlights a mix of traditions and
modernity.
The main theme of the biennale is called 'Awwal Bayt', which
means 'the first house' in Arabic.
The Azerbaijani stand is set up at the Islamic Arts Biennale
with the support of the Culture Ministry. Konul Rafiyeva acts as
the curator of the national pavilion.
Speaking about the biennale, the museum director, Prof Chingiz
Farzaliyev stressed that the pavilion features National Art Museum
exhibits, including ceramics, rare miniatures collection related to
the XVII-XVIII centuries Tabriz school, and colorful carpets, which
aroused great interest among the guests.
There is also a multimedia installation 'Varga and Gulsha:
Irreversible', inspired by the illustrations of Abdulmomin Muhammad
al-Khoyi for Ayuki's poem, which is the only manuscript dating back
to the beginning of the 13th century.
In his speech, Chingiz Farzaliyev underlined that the National
Art Museum is one of the country's leading museums, storing and
studying Azerbaijan's rich legacy.
The museum has absorbed the national and world cultural heritage
from ancient to modern times.
To date, its funds contain over 19,0000 artworks, many of which
have been on display at international exhibitions and attract
genuine interest from specialists, scientists, researchers, and art
connoisseurs.
The international curators' team includes Johannesburg-based
architect and co-founder of experimental design firm Counterspace
Sumaiya Valli, Saudi Arabia's leading scientist and archaeologist
Saad Alrashed, Barakat Trust Fellow at the Victoria and Albert
Museum in London Abdel Barr, Director Emeritus of the National
Museum of Asian Art under the Smithsonian Institution Julian
Raby.
The Islamic Arts Biennale features pavilions that highlight the
close connection between Muslims around the world, present the
richness of Islamic art, and the connection between spiritual and
artistic aesthetics.
According to the original plan, the Biennale was to be held in
Riyadh, it was decided to move the venue to Jeddah, in order to
show the importance of the city from where Muslims begin the
pilgrimage to the main shrines.
Especially for the Biennale, exhibition spaces, a theater,
workshops, a mosque, retail stores, and restaurants were built on a
total area of 70,000 m2.
Among the residents of the Biennale are such organizations as
Dar al-Atar al-Islamiya (Kuwait), the Cairo Museum of Islamic Art
(Egypt), Benaki Museum (Greece), National Museum of the Sultanate
of Oman, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Saudi
Arabia), National Heritage Institute (Tunisia), Qatar National
Library, Ahmed Baba Institute of Higher Learning and Islamic
Research (Timbuktu) and Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation (Mecca).
Notably, Islamic Arts Biennale runs from January 23 to April
23.
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