Nine Senses art center hosting Circle of Life exhibition

The Circle of Life exhibition by artist-cosmographer, astropsychologist Farhad Sadikhov has opened at the Nine Senses art center.

According to Report, it became the first event and the foundation stone ahead of the major international festival Nine Senses Fest, which will be held in Baku on October 6-8. The art center will become a venue for meetings, exchange of experience and bodily and spiritual practices to be conducted by international and Azerbaijani experts.

"Our main goal is to introduce the world to Azerbaijan as a state with millennial traditions, time-tested values, as well as modern approaches in business, education and self-development. Moreover, we want to create a platform for intercultural communication based on mutual respect, interest and hospitality.

We want to introduce guests to various types of recreational, sports and historical and cultural tourism activities. It is important for us to show the world the place of strength of Azerbaijan, the homeland of many ancient teachings and religions, immerse ourselves in the cultural traditions of the country, and introduce the national cuisine," said Natalia Zhukova, academic director of Nine Senses and curator of the exhibition.

According to her, the art center will become a place of creativity and self-development, which admits the traditions of many cultures and teachings, a place that expands horizons, consciousness, and bodily experience. This is a retreat center, a venue of creative self-expression, and a space for body, mind and spirit.

Looking ahead, the director of the art center noted that the upcoming event will be attended by Imram Kriya, a master of kriya yoga, who gives personal experience of insight, a mystic who changes reality, a composer, a multi-instrumentalist.

Speaking about today's exhibition, Natalia Zhukova noted that the crystallized forms of the Sun in mandalas support the harmony of space and spiritual mood.

According to her, in many religious traditions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, mandalas are used as symbols of spiritual growth and the path to enlightenment. They can serve as meditative focuses, helping to develop consciousness and inner peace.

The exhibition is based on the combination of the archetypal symbol of the circle in one exposition that symbolizes the eternity and infinity of the cosmos, and the solar sign of the Sun. Each piece is accompanied by its own scient, is supported by a sound order and emits its own vibration wave.

"We are implementing the Circle of Life mandala therapy project. My best mandalas are on display here, though in limited quantities. They are a kind of energy portal. They harmonize the space, they have a unique ability – to rid people of negativity, filling them with light," said the artist-cosmographer, astropsychologist Farhad Sadikhov.

"Through the mandala, we recreate a fractal model of the universe, and being a part of it, a person remembers and realizes his involvement and connection with the whole universe," Natalia Zhukova, director of the art center, further said.

According to her, today mandalas have found their application in various cultures of the world, often having unique symbolic meanings and uses. In Azerbaijan, a similar trend is called shebeke – ornamental temple stained glass windows. The architects who created them started working only after performing special rituals and reading prayers.
In Hinduism, mandalas have deep spiritual significance and are widely used in religious and ritual practices.
Mandalas in Buddhism are often used for meditation and visualization. They can symbolize the circle of life and death.

In Russia, for example, there were so–called nauzes (knots) - ornaments woven from threads-amulets to help and protect women, children, soldiers, hunters and fishermen in various matters.

Some Native American peoples of North America make mandalas from natural materials, such as sand or stones, and use them in rituals and ceremonies. They can symbolize a connection with nature and the spiritual worlds.
Tibetan monks create elaborate sandstone mandalas depicting deities and cosmic structures. Then these mandalas are destroyed as a sign of the variability of the world and impermanence.

In Christianity, mandalas can be used to decorate church stained glass or windows. They often represent symbols of faith and spiritual path, such as the cross or the wind rose.

In modern art and psychology, mandalas are used as tools of self-expression and therapy. People can create and color mandalas to achieve relaxation and inner harmony.

Nine Senses is an art center for creativity and self–development - an atmospheric venue on the Caspian Sea shore. The mission of the Center is to create a safe and harmonious public space for art lovers of all ages and professions. Here they believe in revealing the creative and cheerful spirit inside everyone.