Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts and Spirituality wraps up in Baku
Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts and Spirituality, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, came to an end at the Baku Media Center on September 30.
Exhibitions, installations, video projections, fashion show, concerts were held as part of the fourday festival. The project was implemented on an international scale with the participation of world-famous singers, philosophers, scientists who write about spirituality in modern society, as well as professionals, amateurs in this field and young people.
Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva and President of the Baku Media Center Arzu Aliyeva attended the closing ceremony, which featured a literary and musical play "Mәrhaba" (Hello).
Following the performance, a ceremony was held to award the winners of a literary competition dedicated to Nasimi. Leyla Aliyeva presented the awards to winners.
At the contest, about 90 young poets presented works inspired by the genius of Nasimi.
Series of events in Gala
Within the part of the festival Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation visited a number of events.
On the last day of the festival Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva attended a presentation of the works created as part of the 3rd International Symposium on Sculpture "The song in the stone" at the Gala Archeological-Ethnographic Museum Complex.
This year’s symposium exhibited the works of 20 sculptors from Azerbaijan, Belgium, Italy, Turkey, India, Ukraine, Spain, Egypt, Mexico, Romania, Iran, Norway, Greece, Slovenia, Argentina, Syria, and Georgia.
The event participants then viewed the 7th International "From waste to art" exhibition, which gathered artists from different countries, who gave a second life to papers, automobile parts, glass, metal pieces and unnecessary waste, once again demonstrating that even a work of art can be created from the "unnecessary things".
The exhibition aims to instill in the population an understanding of the importance of keeping the environment clean.
Notably, "From Waste to Art" Museum has been operating on the territory of the Gala Reserve since 2015.
The event also featured a concert program of Paraguay’s famous Recycling orchestra, comprised of children and juveniles and the music instruments of which are made of recycled wastes.
A public art project "Opening Wall" in the abandoned industrial warehouse in Gala settlement was then presented. The project featured the works of eight local and foreign "urban art" artists from Azerbaijan, Brazil, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, the Netherlands, and France who created their works on the walls of the buildings.
Bahariyya music performance
Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva also took part in presentation of Bahariyya music performance held at the Stone Chronicle Museum.
Prior to music performance, the Stone Chronicle Museum hosted a video lecture titled "Emphatic civilization and shared economy" by world-famous US economist Jeremy Rifkin. Gorkem Shen performed on instrumental instrument "yaybakhar" instrumental improvisations on Sufi music. Nasimi was a follower of Hurufism, one of the branches of Sufism.
Inspired by the works of the immortal Nasimi music project Bahariyya became the true highlight of the evening.
Next, folk singer Teyyub Aslanov took the stage accompanied by Aliaga Sadiyev (string instrument), Elnur Mikayilov (bowed string instrument), Shirzad Fataliyev (wind instrument), Kamran Karimov (drums). The event also featured performance by Farhad Farzaliyev (electronic music and sound design). Synthesis of mugham and electronic music and sounds of nature gave special sound and originality to the music piece.
Then, the evening participants shared their thoughts on Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts and Spirituality.
Gorkem Shen came to Baku for the very first time. “I have come to Baku for the first time and was fascinated by its aura. Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts and Spirituality is a wonderful celebration of high spiritual art and poetry. Sufis believe that only the heart and soul can understand the mystical nature of the universe. Thus, one can get knowledge about this only in an irrational, non-experimental way, constantly improving his spiritual potential,” he said.
Aliaga Sadiyev spoke revealed the unique meaning of "Bahariyya" music performance.
“For the first time, mugham was presented in the synthesis of such a format of electronic music and therefore "Bahariyya" acquired a new sound, a special meaning of unity with nature and human thinking and music, calling for spiritual perfection,” he said.
Poetry majlis
A poetry majlis was also organized at the Baku Book Center as part of Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts and Spirituality.
The event featured the presentation of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Vice President Leyla Aliyeva’s books "Spasibo" and "Molchanie". Leyla Aliyeva recited a few poems from her books.
At the evening, the young poets, including Nijat Nasri, Zaur Rakhshan, Tahira Barrar, Rustam Tofik and others read their poems, written under the influence of Nasimi. The chairman of the Khazar branch of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union Arif Buzovnali appraised the fact that young people presented their poems at the Nasimi Festival. He also read an excerpt from a poem by Leyla Aliyeva.
Secretary of Azerbaijan Writers Union Ilgar Fahmi highlighted the importance of Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts and Spirituality. He stressed that Nasimi’s poems sound great in all languages, reflecting the beauty of Oriental poetry. Ilgar Fahmi said that the Azerbaijani classical poetry is in reliable hands, expressed confidence that the traditions of Azerbaijani people will continue in the future.
Immolatio play
Leyla Aliyeva also watched premiere of play "Immolatio" as part of the festival.
The premiere of the play "Immolatio" (Sacrificing) was held at the Magsud Ibrahimbayov Creative Center on September 29. The play was created by poetess Leyla Begim and filmmaker Yefim Abramov.
The play was dedicated to great thinkers, Imadaddin Nasimi (13691417) and Jan Hus (1369-1415) who were born in the same year and lived at the same time in different parts of the world, East and West, Azerbaijan and Bohemia (now Czech Republic). They had similar views, visions, and attitudes towards the preservation and development of the native language.
Following the play, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation had a conversation with the creative staff of the play and posed for photos together with them. She congratulated them on the successful premiere and wished them success in their future activities.
The work on the play lasted two years, the director, People’s Artist of Azerbaijan, Vagif Asadov, said. The idea that had arisen spontaneously later became serious creative work. He said that holding a festival dedicated to the brilliant thinker and philosopher Nasimi is of great importance not only for the cultural life of the country, but for the entire public as a whole.
“This play tells about the similarity of the fate of Nasimi and the Czech philosopher and thinker Jan Hus and the proximity of their ideas and beliefs. Of course, we are thinking about putting the play in various theaters. Events in the play occur in two periods - 15th and 21st centuries,” said the director.
The poetess Leyla Begim praised the presentation of performance.
“Magsud Ibrahimbayov was an outstanding playwright. A play about two brilliant thinkers in such a symbolic place creates a special energy. I have learned that Nasimi and Jan Hus have similar fates, working on the play. They are carriers of one idea. This is evidenced by their death. All this is fully reflected in the play,” she said.
Three fantastic exhibitions at Heydar Aliyev Center
As part of the Nasimi Festival of Poetry, Arts and Sprituality, three exhibitions: "Live Life", "Hurufiah", and Brian Eno's "77 million paintings" was launched at the Heydar Aliyev Center on September 28.
Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva attended the opening ceremony of the exhibitions. Leyla Aliyeva congratulated the event participants on the opening of the festival and provided an insight into the themes of the exhibitions.
She stressed that "Live life" exhibition has been already shown in London, Berlin, Moscow, Paris and Tbilisi. “It draws attention to the environmental problems and gives an opportunity to many talented artists to represent their art, and also, highlights the beauty of our planet and the unity of all humans,” she noted.
Leyla Aliyeva said "Hurufiah" exhibition by Barjeel Art Foundation of the United Arab Emirates consists of 28 works of paintings and graphics.
“It presents works by contemporary artists living in a number of Arab countries who represent an artistic current called Hurufiah, an image based on letters, a calligraphy. This exhibition presents several works by honored artists of Azerbaijan, Tarlan Gorchu,” she added.
She said the "77 million paintings" exhibition features music and video art installations by Brian Eno.
Speaking to the event, representative of Barjeel Art Foundation of the United Arab Emirates Charles Pocock, and Nasimi’s relative Mohammad Nasimi thanked the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for the organization of the festival and exhibitions.