Green Train: Routes of Memory, Ecology, and Movement

Opened: 25 November
Venue: Azerbaijan Railway Museum

The “Green Train” exhibition brought together artists who explored the railway through the lenses of memory, connection, and ecological transformation. Rather than viewing the train solely as industrial infrastructure, the exhibition presented it as a living metaphor — one that carries personal histories, landscapes, and future possibilities.

In their works, Elnur Musayev and Mehin Huseynli approached the railway as a site of family memory and intergenerational connection. Leyli Alekbarova, Ayten Abdullayeva, Farid Rasulov, and Zaur Gahramanov examined the transformation of the railway from its industrial past toward a more ecological future.

A significant historical layer of the exhibition was highlighted through Elnur Babayev’s series Endless Station (1994–1995), consisting of nine photographs taken in the Saatli district. These images depicted IDPs who spent years living in stationary train wagons  structures that had become makeshift homes.

Through a collective installation, Tamira Ibrahim, Elnur Babayev, Nigar Safarova, and Sabina Shikhlinskaya revived forgotten cultural heritage along the Baku–Pirshagi line, with particular attention to the historic “Sand Bath.”

The exhibition concluded with works by Zarnishan Yusif and Rashad Alakbarov. Yusif’s collages, incorporating old letters and postage stamps, recalled a time when the railway was the sole link connecting distant people. Alekbarov visualized the rhythm of an approaching train, capturing the emotional charge of movement.

Artists

Ayten Abdullayeva, Elnur Babayev, Elnur Musayev, Farid Rasulov, Leyli Alekbarova, Mehin Huseynli, Nigar Safarova, Rashad Alekbarov, Sabina Shikhlinskaya, Tamira Ibrahim, Zaur Gahramanov, Zarnishan Yusif

Curators

Ayna Moazzen / Sitara Ibrahimbayli

Project Manager

Tanzila Baghirova