The National Art Museum has been long recognised as an art space that showcases a diverse range of artworks from various periods and cultures.

In its commitment to inclusivity, the museum has embarked on new projects in 2024 that specifically cater to the needs of visually impaired people.

The National Art Museum aims to ensure that everyone, regardless of their visual abilities, can fully engage with and appreciate the world of art.

In an interview with AZERNEWS, Director of the National Art Museum, Honoured Cultural Worker Shirin Malikova shares the museum's groundbreaking projects and new initiatives.

Q: How has the year 2024 started for the Azerbaijan National Art Museum?

A: The National Art Museum continues the exhibition "Western Azerbaijani Art in Our Cultural Memory", which opened on December 15, 2023. The project was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev. The exhibition includes paintings, graphics, works of fine and decorative arts, photographs, historical documents, numismatics, and other exhibits from the collections of the National Art Museum, the National Carpet Museum, the State Art Gallery and Gallery of Solar Carpets. This exhibition will last until the end of February. Some exhibits are being shown for the first time.

For this project, we have developed, together with the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts as well as the Azerbaijan Society of the Visually Impaired, special content for people with vision problems. The project will be presented for the first time in the coming days. These will be reliefs of several works of painting, as well as annotations in Braille. Also, in the coming days, we will share all the details of the most important project for Azerbaijan's modern history, which was carried out by the National Art Museum's Restoration Department - the restoration of Mirza Gadim Iravani's paintings, which once adorned the Sardar Palace in Iravan and are now stored in the Georgian National Museum.

Q: National Art Museum actively organises projects for both adults and children. In this connection, it is worth noting the museum's new project, "Art History for Children". What is the main purpose of the project?

A: The project "Art History for Children" is designed to introduce children to the history of world and Azerbaijani art through exhibits from the museum's collection. Each month will be dedicated to a particular era, from ancient times to the present day, including Antiquity, Middle Ages, Renaissance, etc. For example, the theme of this January is Ancient Egypt. Each weekend, young guests and their parents are offered a theme from the appropriate era with a corresponding lecture and a thematic excursion. The program will be complemented by a shadow theater performance staged by the museum employees, interesting master classes, quizzes, and quests. The program for each era will have several varieties - for children of different ages. Registration for participation requires pre-registration by calling (012) 492 07 07.

Q: National Art Museum is constantly expanding cooperation with other museums. Are there any plans for joint projects with foreign partners in the future?

A: Yes, we have already planned a number of similar projects. We hope to begin active international activities in the near future. In particular, several exhibitions are planned for this year, but it is too early to talk about them; relevant negotiations are still underway.

Q: What is the National Art Museum currently focusing on?

A: Work is being carried out in all directions, starting with re-branding. Projects are being prepared to update exhibitions, create new exhibitions, and launch several educational projects for various audiences. Speaking about the audience, it is worth mentioning separately about the inclusive direction of the museum's activities: a major project on this topic is being prepared, and the museum is now in full swing developing content for the visually impaired and blind people.

Another direction of the National Art Museum's work is activity at the intersection of the museum sphere and various types of non-fine art. Of the specific thematic projects planned for the near future, I would like a first name such as "Cinema in the Museum", which starts on February 3. The project will feature film screenings about Azerbaijani artists. I would also like to mention the project "Music in the Museum", which is scheduled for February 21, where we will give spectators the opportunity to listen to classical music in a luxurious museum interior. Each concert will be preceded by a short but interesting excursion corresponding to the era of music included in the program. Future plans in this direction also include theatrical evenings at the museum.

Another area of the work, which can be called the basis of all our activities, is the study of the collections stored here. As you know, the National Art Museum has a valuable collection of Azerbaijani art, which requires deep and careful study. No less valuable material awaits us in the collections of Western European and Russian art. There are many unexplored works, so our employees have a long and very interesting journey ahead of them. Foreign experts will also be involved in this research. Relevant negotiations have already started. There will be a lot of work in this direction, it is very exciting, and I am sure that you will be interested in discovering the hidden with us and learning about masterpieces that have been kept in storage for many years. This museum will become a centre of attraction.

Moreover, the National Art Museum prepares a strategy for its collections. It concerns the replenishment of them with exhibits ranging from the ancient period to the present day.

In short, work is underway to update museum work in all directions. Our main goal is to elevate the National Art Museum to a leading one both in the region and beyond.

I see the museum as a platform where all types of art intersect - fortunately, the volume and diversity of our collections, as well as the capabilities of the museum's buildings, completely allow this.