The 5th International Biennial of Contemporary Art “Aluminium”
12.12.2012 - 17.12.2012Art Gallery
Grand opening: December 11, 2012, 12:00
Organizer: Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Azerbaijan Republic
The 5th International Biennial of Contemporary Art "Aluminium" will be held in Baku on December 11-16 2012.
The International Biennial of Contemporary Art "Aluminium" being held in Baku every two years since 2003 has been already a tradition and attracts the artists, art critics and curators from all over the world to Azerbaijan. The Biennial represents both the traditional and the contemporary art of our country to the experts of international authority and has given a creative impetus to the artists, both in Azerbaijan and abroad. The exhibitions held in the frames of the Biennial have been comprehensively reported by mass media, and many experts have also published their analytical and research articles on this event.
The International Biennial of Contemporary Art "Aluminium" has been a significant stimulus to the development of contemporary art in Azerbaijan. Many talented young artists have premiered their most interesting works at the exhibitions of the Biennial. They have gone on to successful participation in a great number of significant international exhibitions abroad. In 2007 and 2009 the International Biennial of Contemporary Art "Aluminium" being held under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been a considerably larger scale event. The Biennial to be held in Baku on 11th -16th of December 2012 will bring together the artists, art critics and curators from Europe and Asia again. The main aims of the event are to introduce the contemporary art of Azerbaijan to viewers and experts outside of Azerbaijan, as well as to promote the development of contemporary art within the country and to support the artists’ activity.
The concept of the Biennial is
The Faces of Time
We live together. We love, we hate, we create idols for ourselves and then overthrow them. We influence each other, adopting the good and the bad. We are a society, and whatever happens to each of us, becomes a part of the lives of the rest of us. We benefit each other as well as we create obstacles for one another. Time changes and we change too. Is it us who determine our time? Or is it time that forms us? That is the question.
The faces of time are our faces; ours and our idols’. Who are the "heroes of our time"? Are they the politicians or the artists or the scientists? Are they our parents or our friends? Or maybe we are the heroes... By making graven images we actualize an ideal of our own. Our time is us as we are, and it is specific for each of us.
Organizers:
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Union of Artists of Azerbaijan
YARAT! Contemporary Art Space
Sponsors:
Embassy of the Republic of France to the Republic of Azerbaijan
“STATOIL” Oil Company of Norway
“Koridoor Contemporary Art Programs”, Turkey
15 galleries and exhibition sites in Baku are involved into the work of the Biennial. These are:
1. Art Gallery of the Museum Centre
2. Yarat! Contemporary Art Space
3. Contemporary Art Centre and United Artists’ Club in Icheri Sheher
4. Vajiha Samadova Exhibition Hall at the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan
5. ART SALON Contemporary Art Centre at the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan
6. Yeni Gallery
7. Absheron Gallery
8. Giz Galasi Gallery
9. Art Group
10. Kichik QalART
11. Baki Gallery
12. LN Art Centre
13. Baku Creative Centre
14. Art Council
15. Yay Gallery
Biennial Coordinator: Aida Mahmudova, a founder of Yarat! Contemporary Art Space
Biennial Curator: Dilara Vahabova, art critic
Biennial Director: Galib Gasimov, Head of the Fine and Applied Arts Department, Ministry of Culture and Tourism
The countries of participants are: Azerbaijan, Turkey, France, the USA, Germany, Russia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Finland, South Korea, Morocco.
In the closing day (December 15) there will be a conference “The Practice of Contemporary Art Today” held in the conference-hall of the Museum Centre at 3:00 p.m.. The participants of Biennial will talk about their principal art projects and creative plans as well as share their ideas about works presented at the Biennial.
Programm
| Event | Place |
December 11, 11.00-12.00 12.00 15.00 18.30 | Press-Conference Opening ceremony. "Yarat!" Gallery. Union of Artists of Azerbaijan. Art Gallery. Presentation of the projects | Museum Center, Museum Center, 132 Yusif Vezir Chemenzemenli str. (Ganjlik Metro station) 11/19 Azerbaijan Ave |
December 12, 15.30 16.30 17.30 18.30 | All National Leader Heydar Aliyev's Memory Day. Minute's silence. Center of Contemporary Art. The United Club of Artists. Presentation of the project "Giz Galasi” Gallery. Presentation of the project Art Council. Presentation of the project | 38 U.Hajibeyov str., Icheri Sheher, Icheri Sheher, 1 Hasan Seyidbeyli str. |
December 13, 10.00 11.00 12.00 12.30 15.30 16.00 17.00 18.00 | Apsheron Gallery. Presentation of the projects Yay Gallery. Presentation of the project Baku Creative Center. Presentation of the projects Art Group. Presentation of the projects Baki Gallery. Presentation of the projects Kichik Qalart Gallery. Presentation of the projects Yeni Gallery. Presentation of the project Union of Artists of Azerbaijan. Vajiya Samadova Exhibition Hall. Presentation of the projects | Icheri Sheher, Icheri Sheher, 6 Hasan Abdullayev str. 7 M.Muhtarov str. Icheri Sheher, Icheri Sheher, 4/6 A.Aliyev str. 19 Hagani str. |
December 14, 16.00 17.00 | House of Culture in Bina settlement (project by Eva Koch, Denmark) Trip to Yanardag/Fire Mountain | Bina Settlement |
December 15, 10.00-13.00 15.00-18.00 | Disassembling of the Expositions Conference "The Practice | Museum Center, |
