YARAT Contemporary Art Space presents “Delicate Observations” - the travelling group exhibition with works by established and young Azerbaijani artists in Saatli city.

The exhibition is inspired by the poetics of everyday life. The main idea is to offer another point of view on what is experienced in contemporary daily life through the artists’ eyes. Amid overwhelming information fog, it is possible to go astray and lose the track of things. The exhibition showcases the ordinary moments, topics that could be peripheric, but that are essential to notice. To cherish a day is enough to delicately observe your surroundings and situations. The artists are considered to be the ones who habitually notice and highlight forsaken themes, let it be the notions of time and space, memory and identity, simple human emotions and their stories, and cultural and vernacular values. In the context of the temporality of every day, the exhibition proposes a humanistic approach to observe, reflect, and change for the better.

In his photographs, Dadash Adna highlights the poetics of ordinary - people and their surroundings, the natural landscapes of his rural hometown, and the delicate nuances of human desires. Mehrin Alili applies the same technique while observing her surroundings in her “What if” video installation: she examines existing and parallel realities by juxtaposing the scenes from the metropolis and country life. The artist reflects on her thoughts on how her life could have been different if her ancestors had not migrated to the city. Human habits, which are manifested in the portrait of the city, are also closely observed in Elturan Mammadov’s photo series: unfitting colours, replaced objects, and banality can be seen in the most unexpected ways. Ramal Kazim’s works depict solitary struggles and anxieties that have become integral parts of contemporary living. The artist represents the complexity of seemingly simple human emotions and feeling in grotesque and highly exaggerated ways to evoke strong sensations.

Nadir Eminov’s “Okay, boomer” installation is an irony to postmodern society and its coping mechanisms. The artist observes how media influences human perception, creating a delusional view of the majority. As if life is being observed from the other side of the screen, the artist constitutes a secluded and firm atmosphere, alluding to the escapism and abyss between reality and perception.

The exhibition also accentuates the importance of universal topics to reflect on.

Soltan Soltanli explores the existential questions of human life and social behaviour in his work. Through his paintings, he references themes such as love, labour, death, and human relationships, titling the artworks to give insight into his intention, which reveals his nuanced understanding of life.

Some things are universally unpleasant to think about such as the truth that everybody we know and love is eventually going to die one day. These truths are always around but people usually try to chase them away. Habib Saher’s “Waiting for Godot” installation muses on the subject of loss and ponders upon the reconciliation with the past through continuous renewal.

Rashad Babayev’s “Darvish” represents the mediative state of being consciously free from space and time. In asceticism associated with mystical Sufi traditions, darvish contemplates wisdom for future generations. The artist illuminates the power of cultural and religious roots in shaping today’s regional culture.

Traditionally, based on the exhibition, the education programs are planned to be conducted by YARAT team and artists. In the frame of the program, the participants will be able to attend lectures and masterclasses in the sphere of contemporary art.

Included works are part of the YARAT’s permanent collection and courtesy of the artists.

The organizational support by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sabirabad Regional Culture Department, and Saatli State Art Gallery.

Exhibition: Delicate Observations, group exhibition

Location: Saatli district, Saatli State Art Gallery (Hasan bey Zardabi Street, 71B)

Exhibition opening date: March 1, 15:00

Dates: March 1 – 3, 2023

Working hours: 09:00 – 18:00

Admission is free