Rashad Alakbarov
b. 1979, Baku
He lives and works in Baku
Rashad Alakbarov graduated from the Faculty of Decorative Arts at Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Art in Baku (2001). He has worked with different media, including painting, sculpture, theatrical decoration, video art and architectural design, but the use of shadows in his installations has become the main direction in the artist's conceptual work. The first public showing of this type of work was at the 'Wings of Time' exhibition in Baku in 2000. His works are held in private collections in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Italy and Russia.
The works of Alakbarov comprise massive installations, but not the typical kind which are aimed at direct sensory perception – they contain more subtlety. Objects, either diverse or homogenous, are arranged in such a manner that shadows cast on a wall, under proper lighting, have little to do with the image of the initial installation. From this duality lies the magic of his works.
The artist has created a broad range of works within this general theme. Rashad’s shadow work is cast on the surface of walls and includes images of the city as well as mythological and other characters. Exhibitions of this work have included ‘012 Baku Public Art’ project and the ‘Themis’ installation. ‘Foreword’ and ‘The Other City’ were also significant exhibitions for his personal development. The installations are created with relatively simple objects, such as plastic pipes and metal wires that he collects and uses to construct the installations himself. At the same time he significantly emphasises the concept of the Eastern world in his works. Thematically, his recent works are mainly associated with global social problems. With these works the artist focuses attention on problems and demonstrates that he is far from oblivious towards what is happening in the world today.
Solo Exhibitions
2014
Words, Museum of Modern Art, Baku (Azerbaijan)
2013
The Other City, YAY Gallery, Baku (Azerbaijan)
Selected Group Exhibitions
2014
Cosmoscow Art Fair, Manezh, Moscow (Russia)
Artbat Fest, Almaty (Kazakhstan)
Artist-In-Residence, Delfina Foundation, London (UK)
In Between / Viewpoints, Michela Rizzo Gallery, Venice (Italy)
The Process, 12th Avesta Art Festival, Kungsgatan (Sweden)
Love Me, Love Me Not, Contemporary Art from Azerbaijan and its Neighbours, Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku (Azerbaijan)
Words and Illuminations, in cooperation with The British Museum, Le Méridien Medina Hotel, Al Madinah (UAE)
East Wing Biennial, The Courtauld Institute of Art, London (UK)
2013
Ornamentation, 55th Venice Biennale, Azerbaijan Pavillion, Venice (Italy)
Love Me, Love Me Not, Contemporary Art from Azerbaijan and its Neighbours, Collateral Event for the 55th International Venice Biennale, Venice (Italy)
2012-2013
Fly to Baku (multiple galleries), Kunsthistorisches Museum, Neue Burg, Vienna (Austria); Spazio D, Maxxi building, National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome (Italy); Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow (Russia); me Collectors Room, Berlin (Germany); Hotel Salomon de Rothschild, Paris (France); Phillips de Pury & Company, London (UK)
2012
Islamic Art Festival, Sharjah, UAE
From Waste To Art, Gala Archeological and Ethnographic Museum, Baku (Azerbaijan)
Merging Bridges, Museum of Modern Art, Baku (Azerbaijan)
Maiden Tower III International Art Festival, Baku (Azerbaijan)
012 Baku Public Art Festival, Baku (Azerbaijan)
2011
Foreword, Alternative Art Place, Baku (Azerbaijan)
The Journey To The East, Museum of Contemporary Art in Kraków (MOCAK), Kraków, Poland; Arsenal Gallery, Białystok (Poland)
Fabulous Four, ArtExEast Foundation, Kichik QalArt, Baku, Azerbaijan
City, Central House of The Artist, Moscow (Russia)
Big Cauasus, PermM Gallery, Perm, Russia
2010
Azerbaijan Contemporary Art, Aidan Gallery, Moscow (Russia)
2009
Bakunlimited, Cultural Days of Azerbaijan, Voltahalle, Basel (Switzerland)
2008
Art Is Not Only Ugly, Atrium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Berlin (Germany)
Steps of Time: Contemporary Art From Azerbaijan, Residenzschloss, Dresden (Germany)
Minimum Wage Project, group exhibition, Center of Contemporary Arts, Baku (Azerbaijan)
2007
Aluminium 3, International Bienni9al of Contemporary Art, Baku (Azerbaijan)
East & West, Museum of Art, Die (France)
Omnia Mea, 52nd Venice Biennale, Azerbaijan Pavilion, Venice (Italy)
2006
Caucasus, NCCA, Moscow (Russia)
Transfusion, Contemporary Art Centre, Liestal (Switzerland)
Aluminium 2, International Biennial of Contemporary Art, Baku (Azerbaijan)
2005
Aluminium: Art and New Technologies, Shirvanshah’s Palace, Baku (Azerbaijan)
2003
7+7. More Transparent, The Museum Centre, Baku (Azerbaijan)
2002
Orientalism: Inside & Outside, International Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Sattar Bahlulzadeh Exhibition Hall, Baku (Azerbaijan)
2000
Wings of Time, Exhibition of Young Artists, Khagani Art Centre, Baku (Azerbaijan)
