From the Museum of Modern Art - REPORTAGE

Baku. 7 February. REPORT.AZ/ Museum of Modern Art was opened in Baku in March 2009 at the initiative of the First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva and Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

The Museum displays more than 800 avant-garde works by young Azerbaijani artists and sculptors from the second half of the 20th century up to now. Report presents the reportage from the Museum of Modern Art.

Rules of visiting the museum

Unusual sculptures before the museum signal that we are already here. When entering the museum, it is primarily necessary to pass the security check. At the entrance we are welcomed by the museum guide. There is a wardrobe at the entrance where visitors can leave all their things.

When we were shooting in the museum, we were warned against using additional light. It is strictly prohibited to touch the exhibits. In addition, it is necessary to speak quietly when viewing the exhibits. You should discuss what you see with a silent voice. You should not argue because excessive noise can be irritating to visitors. You should approach the stands at a distance that won't prevent other viewers from seeing them. A number of pieces (for example, the works by impressionists, large-sized paintings) should be viewed from a distance.

The rules also feature the inexpediency of visiting the museum in a noisy company or in a drunken state. Such cases hinder the right perception of the museum exhibits.

Museum composition

Museum represents a unique structure combining architecture and design, painting and sculpture. The concept of the museum, its architecture and design, installation, collection and exposition variety belong to artist Altay Sadikhzade. There are no closed shapes in the Museum. Two floors locate in a single open space and merge with the structure of 'Forgotten stairs'. Color is one of the uniting factors. The museum is of a white color. It generally represents the art of vangard with its freedom of architecture, sophisticated 'movement' of ranges and metal constructions, the exposition of paintings and sculpturs.

Pieces embodying freedom of human spirit

Unlike the museums, which exhibit paintings pleasant to a human soul and flawless patters of sculpture, here you have to ponder over the meaning of a piece, over what the author wanted to say by his work.

As a reflection of the universalism of art, the museum also features the paintings and sculptures by modern artists from different countries. A special hall is allocated for the paintings by the representatives of western vanguard Pablo Picasso, Mars Shagall, Salvadore Dali.

Exposition of the 'unknown' strata

Along with western artists, the museum also features the artworks of more than a thousand of Azerbaijani artists and sculptors of the past 70 years. Our guide said that the collection of the classics of figurative art such as Sattar Bahlulzade, Tahir Salahov, Mikayil Abdullayev, Huseyn Aliyev, Tagi Tagiyev, Nadir Abdurrahmanov, Elmira Shakhtakhtinskaya, Nadir Qasimov, Oqtay Sadikhzade, Tokay Mammadov, Toghrul Narimanbayov, Omar Eldarov is represented here.

Part of the expositions features the 'unknown' strata belonging to a completely different flow of the national art of painting that formed in the Soviet times. These are the unique paintings by Ashraf Murad, Kamal Ahmad, Mirjavad Javad, Rasim Babayev that are preserved in the museum.

Like the vangard  artists of other countries, Azerbaijani artists also review the global art heritage, analyze it and adjust to the rhythms and conditions of the day. The permanent exposition of the museum features the patterns of this figurative art which is represented by Rasim Babayev, Mir Nadir Zeynalov, Agha Useynov, Ashraf Murad, Gennadi Brejatyuk, Ali Ibadullayev, Mammad Mustafayev, Fazil Najafov, Fuad Salayev, Farhad Khalilov, Darvin Valibayov, Eldar Mammadov, Mikayil Abdurrahmanov, Museib Amirov, Mahmud Rustamov, Huseyn Haqverdiyev, Eliyar Alimirzayev, Rashad Babayev, Altay Sadikhzade and a number of other painters.