On May 31th Azerbaijan`s pavilion officially opened as part of the 55th World Exhibition of Art, International Venice Biennale with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
First Lady of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva and Vice-President of the Foundation Leyla Aliyeva took part in the opening ceremony.
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy.
This is the most influential and respected exhibition in the modern art world. The exhibition, which will run until November, will feature dozens of pavilions.
Azerbaijan participates in the Venice Biennale for the fourth time. The motto of the Azerbaijani pavilion is Ornaments.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Leyla Aliyeva said she was pleased as she presents her country`s rich culture in such a beautiful city like Venice.
“Azerbaijan has always been home to many religions, cultures and nations. Baku is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world - ranging from architectural works by Zaha Hadid and ending with the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Carpet and Flame Towers. I think that this synthesis of East and West, ancient and modern life gets reflected in our art. Art has always been an important part of our culture. Our country hosts amazing art events almost every month,” Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva said.
The exhibition`s curator Erve Mikaeloff praised the development of modern art in Azerbaijan and expressed his gratitude to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for supporting art projects.
Six Azerbaijani artists represent the country in this year`s biennale - Butunay Hagverdiev, Fakhriya Mammadova, Farid Rasulov, Rashad Alakbarov, Sanan Alasgarov and Chingiz.
Later that day a dinner was given on behalf of Azerbaijan`s First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva.
The opening of the Azerbaijani pavilion in Venice Biennale made huge contribution to popularizing the country`s culture and art in the world.
The 55th Venice Biennale features national pavilions from 88 countries, 10 of those for the first time. Though there is no official theme uniting the pavilions, several ideas are gaining currency in this edition, which runs through Nov. 24. Artists are railing against greed and avarice, while also examining the results of collective actions. They are also pushing the boundaries, literally, of the physical world, altering the pavilions to incorporate the exhibit space into the art.
The first Biennale was held in 1895; during the first editions, decorative arts played an important role. The event became more and more international in the first decades of the 20th century: from 1907 on, several countries started installing national pavilions at the exhibition. After World War I, the Biennale showed increasing interest in innovative traditions in modern art. Between the two World Wars, many important modern artists had their work exhibited there.
When the Venice Biennale was founded in 1895, one of its main goals was to establish a new market for contemporary art. Between 1942 and 1968 a sales office assisted artists in finding clients and selling their work, a service for which it charged 10% commission. Sales remained an intrinsic part of the biennale until 1968, when a sales ban was enacted. An important practical reason why the focus on non-commodities has failed to decouple Venice from the market is that the biennale itself lacks the funds to produce, ship and install these large-scale works. Therefore the financial involvement of dealers is indispensable. Furthermore, every other year the Venice Biennale coincides with nearby Art Basel, the world`s prime commercial fair for modern and contemporary art.

AzerTAc