Azerbaijani Artists Create Unique Metal Barrel

Two Azerbaijani artists have transformed an urban space into a platform for poetic and ecological reflection, unveiling a new installation after completing the international educational program Climate Adaptation for Creatives, a unique 20-week online course for creative people responding to climate challenges, Azernews reports.

The program was implemented in collaboration between the British Council and Black Mountains College (Wales, UK) and brought together 80 creative practitioners from the UK and Europe. Based on the principles of collaborative learning and knowledge sharing, the program combined lively discussions, independent study and practical assignments designed to inspire participants to take real action in their communities.

Inspired by this experience, the course graduates - the head of Arts Council Azerbaijan Dadash Mammadov and a member of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union and The Poetry Society (UK), poetess Leyli Salayeva launched the project "Manifestation of the Future through Poetry and Sustainable Development", which became a new stage of the already existing E initiative, created by Arts Council Azerbaijan in 2017, uniting various forms of art and social themes.

At the center of the installation is a metal barrel, ubiquitous in the urban and rural landscapes of Azerbaijan and often used as a temporary container. Here it takes on a new meaning: a living tree is planted in it, whose roots are limited by a closed space. This metaphor reflects the vulnerability of nature, compressed within the boundaries of human expectations and infrastructural solutions.

The project has already been presented to the general public, arousing interest among both representatives of the cultural community and environmental activists.

The installation is not only visual, but also has a literary philosophy. The surface of the barrel is decorated with poetic manifestos in English and Azerbaijani written by Leyli Salayeva, Ravan Javad and A. Hilling. These texts explore alternative scenarios for the future, calling for reflection and imagining other paths. "We cannot change the future until we imagine it," said Leyli Salayeva.

The installation turns poetry into an effective tool - combining art, ecology and public participation in a single space. At the same time, the installation does not give unambiguous answers - it asks important questions. Are we really saving nature - or are we just creating the illusion of care, taming it to the needs of the urban world? After all, like poetry, nature requires understanding, not control.

Media partners of the event are Azernews, Trend, Day, and Milli.

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