By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

YARAT Contemporary Art Space celebrates its tenth anniversary with spectacular events.

A group exhibition "Foreword. Ten Words" has solemnly opened at the Stone Chronicle Museum as part of the celebration.

The exhibition included exhibits collected by YARAT over the past ten years.

Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva took part in the event.

Famous artist,  founder of YARAT Contemporary Art Space Aida Makhmudova addressed the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

" I am very glad that you are celebrating  YARAT's 10th anniversary with us. It is valuable for our artists and visitors. If you look through the prism of time, you can see that ten years have passed in a blink of the eye. However, major work has been done by YARAT over this time. I am working with incredibly talented professionals who are passionate about their art. Congratulations to my team!," she said.

Next, the guests enjoyed an audiovisual performance and Isfar Sarabski's solo concert. 

Founded in 2011  by Aida Mahmudova, YARAT Contemporary Art Space Public Union is a non-profit organization which aims at promoting contemporary art in Azerbaijan and providing a platform for local artists.

Since its official opening in 2015, YARAT has organized numerous individual and group exhibitions by both local contemporary artists such as Faig Ahmed, Rashad Alakbarov, Orkhan Huseynov, and Aida Mahmudova, and internationally renowned artists such as Shirin Neshat, Oscar Murillo, Shilpa Gupta, Michelangelo Pistoletto, and Taus Makhacheva.

With its role as an experimental platform for young artists, ARTIM Project Space continues to enrich the contemporary art of Azerbaijan with new talent.

The exhibition program of the Museum of Azerbaijani Painting of the 20th-21st Centuries (managed by YARAT since 2018) studies the creative activities of prominent modernist and avant-garde artists and presents their work from unexpected angles.

So far, YARAT has participated in the 54th and 55th Venice Biennales, the Art Dubai International Art Fair, the Viennafair Contemporary Art Fair, the Cosmoscow Art Fair, and many other large-scale art events that have contributed to the worldwide recognition of contemporary art from Azerbaijan.

Through its exhibition programs, public and educational programs, and photography and theater festivals, YARAT has attracted a wide audience from day one.

YARAT Contemporary Art Space organized 194 exhibitions, over 2000 education and public programmes during its existence.

Over the ten years, YARAT has collected its own unique collection consisting of artworks.

YARAT's collection includes art pieces of Rashad Alakbarov, Rashad Babayev, Orkhan Huseynov, Aida Mahmudova, Sanan Alasgarov, Mahmud Rustamov, Zamir Suleymanov, and other leading contemporary artists. Collection also features the works by world-known foreign artists such as Oscar Murillo, Shirin Neshat, Idris Khan, Afruz Amigi, Taus Makhacheva, Koka Ramishvili, Nilbar Guresh.

Being the first and the only contemporary art collection in Azerbaijan, YARAT's Collection demonstrates the role the organization played in the development of contemporary art.