ARTIM EXHIBITION: DADASH ADNA LOVE ME

YARAT Contemporary Art Space features the first exhibition at ARTIM Project Space’s brand-new location. 

The multidisciplinary exhibition “Dadash Adna: Love Me”, a curator project of Ehtiram Jabi, winner of the open call for curators, will feature the modern space in a new format.

Love Me covers the full spectrum of Dadash Adna’s body of work, bringing together his photography, video, poster, poetry and paintings. Considering that many have recognized him through social networks, the artist's life has still remained a mystery for too many. Adna’s life and oeuvre, primarily known by his photographs and poems, are endowed with love. “Love me” formes the exhibition’s core point standing out as a message, calling and the biggest expectation from the world.  

The main heroes of Dadash Adna, who is more known as a photographer, are ordinary people and their surroundings, their life, and “untold” desires. His photographs in portrait, landscape and still life genres deliver the stories he saw, the way he felt. Regardless of the theme and the genre, the focus of his photographs is deeply rooted in emotions and feelings.

Dadash’s videos emphasize his interest in various aspects of the screening oeuvre. The photographer and poet recording the process of writing and reading his poetry, shot number of documents characterized by a particular originality.

Dadash Adna’s poetries are written in free verse. In his poems written in Azeri and Turkish, Dadash speaks of everyday routine, shares his thoughts and feelings. In addition, the content of his poems includes the author’s subjective philosophical position and concerning him questions.

The author’s numerous previously non-exhibited pencil drawings create an impression of him as an amateur-artist who sees the world from a different prism. Dadash’s life stories are also revealed in his paintings that are close to symbolism and surrealism. 

The posters created by Dadash Adna come from his keen interest in cinema. In this engagement he masterfully uses the photographs snapped by him. The title of the exhibition is taken from the “Love me” poster which he prepared for his same-titled poem. 

Dadash Adna’s closest friend Vusal Rzasoy’s author’s concert “Full moon man” will also  take place at the opening of the exhibition. Vusal Rzasoy is a singer, composer and poet, who is known to  perform under the alias VİESULAS. 

Ehtiram Jabi (b. 1996, Baku, Azerbaijan) passion in photo journalism enabled him to partner with Reuters, ANN, RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service where some of his works were published. Ehtiram’s photo series called “On the top”, “White swan”, “Veterans” were released in leading local portals. Participation in 2014 in Yarat Summer School with Magnum Photography (Thomaz Dworzak, Chien-Chi Chang) and photographer David Montgomery played a major role in his work. In 2015 during the exhibition, “Friendship of Peoples” in Moscow was invited to speak at a creative meeting, and in the same year received a prize from the Union of Photographers of Azerbaijan Award “Hope”. In 2017, he finished work on his first full-fledged project “Polio”. His works were displayed in-group exhibitions in Russia, Georgia. Currently based in Baku and working on different personal photo projects.  

Dadash Adna (Abulgasım Adnayev) (1978-2015) was born in Sadarak, Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. He was sent to Baku in 1993 because of the war in Karabakh, where he studied at the Chemistry and Biology based high school. After graduation, Dadash returned to his motherland, and started to work as an amateur photographer and videographer. In 2000, he worked as an operator in a number of TV channels in Baku and regions, and employed as a designer, technical manager and record keeper. His interest in photography from his young ages brought him to amateur photography.

Opening: June 12, 2019

Time: 7 pm

“Full Moon” concert by VIESULAS, 8 pm (on terrace) 

Exhibition dates: June 12 – July 12, 2019

Venue: ARTIM Project Space 

Address: Icherisheher, Kichik Gala str., 5

Admission is free