YARAT CENTRE: FOGS TURNED INTO EPIC STORY IN MY HEAD

YARAT Contemporary Art Space presents the new group exhibition Fogs turned into epic story in my head.

Having long been regarded as a "frozen conflict" in the South Caucasus region, the Karabakh conflict has already gone down in history as one of the most tragic clashes. The recent months’ events have shifted to a more active phase of the conflict and changed the geopolitical map of the whole region, attaining positive results. With the thawing of the “frozen conflict” status resulting in the complete victory of Azerbaijan in both military and political aspects, the 44-day Patriotic War has become one of the first pages written in our contemporary history with golden letters...

YARAT’s group exhibition titled Fogs turned into epic story in my head explains the decades-long Karabakh conflict in terms of its impact and consequences. The exhibition brings up the traumatic memories of war and political conflicts. The show addresses the pre-war “Neither Peace nor War” years, rooted in the most sensitive problem of the region and reflects the course of this complex journey. At the same time, it is based on historical analysis, evaluation of its biased periods and episodes, documentation of the deformation and damage suffered by society and culture, while acting as an observer of these difficult periods. The collected works represent witnesses of the consequences of military conflicts and political crises, exploring the national context and raising questions of universal and supernational importance.

Fogs turned into epic story in my head speaks of the beginning of a new stage in the Karabakh conflict, which is expressed through both personal and collective prisms. This 27-year period, which is too short for universal history but a long period of occupation in the local context, is depicted in the different political situation and social realities faced by different generations. The exhibited artworks speak of the thorny path to victory, while highlighting that there are no intersecting parallels between those realities.

The exhibition takes its title from the famous song “Motherland is Better” (in Azerbaijani: “Vətən yaxşıdır”), based on lyrics written by Aliagha Vahid and performed by Warrant Officer Khudayar Yusifzade, who become heroically martyred during the Patriotic War. The song is included as a part of the installation by Rashad Alakbarov.

As a result, the exhibition creates interactions between artworks created by prominent Azerbaijani artists such as Maral Rahmanzade and Mikayil Abdullayev, and painting, installation, photography, video and digital works by artists and photographers Aghababa Bagirov, Elnur Babayev, Ilgar Jafarov, Shahvalad Eyvazov, Erkin Alakbarli, Rashad Alakbarov, Khalid Askerov, Mirnaib Hasanoglu, Ali Gafarov, Javid Gurbanov, Oleg Litvin, Aida Mahmudova, Ali Rza, Zamir Suleymanov and Nurahmed Veliyev, solving and completing the complicated puzzle of the resolved Karabakh conflict.

The exhibition includes artworks and photographic materials stored in the national collections of Azerbaijan State Art Gallery, Baku Museum of Modern Art, YARAT Contemporary Art Space and Azerbaijan Photographers Union.

Exhibition is curated by Farah Alakbarli.

Exhibition: Fogs Turned Into Epic Story in My Head

Location: YARAT Contemporary Art Centre (National Flag Square)

Dates: 15 December 2020 – 9 May 2021

Exhibition opens: Tuesday – Sunday, from 12:00 – 20:00

Admission is free