“Şəkilçəkən” – a project by the VarYox art platform was created 2 years ago. The editor of the project is Sitara Ibrahimbeyova, the writer is the American curator Lesley Grey. The aim is to introduce the members of the modern artistic platform of Azerbaijan into the larger society and shedding light on their creative endeavors. The works of around 70 artists were presented to people during last 2 years. Their works, significant overseas exhibitions and local projects were noted in the articles. This is a novelty for the history of art in Azerbaijan, as the regular and systematic way in which the works of such a large number of major artists are encyclopedically put together is unprecedented.
The articles have been regularly presented to the readers of the VarYox website within this project. The positive feedback we received from day one, and also the significance of the project were the key elements that made us realize the importance of it. This in turn resulted in the VarYox team reaching the decision of going for another first – making the book “The Modern Art of Azerbaijan”. Understanding the importance of this book that we’ve been working on with great passion and excitement for already more than 6 months for the future generations, we started making big steps on this road. Apart from the local importance of it, the fact that the book is written in two languages, Azerbaijani and English makes it interesting outside of the country as well. This book will be an invaluable source for both those who are curious about the cultural atmosphere of our country and as a touristic gift. A book of such an encyclopedic archival value could be deemed as a priceless artwork for the future decades. The fact that it is in Azerbaijani and English should be deemed as another novelty.
We – VarYox Cultural and Artistic Platform, also the artists to be mentioned in this book, together with everyone who worked on this project are very happy for making this historically significant work and thereby making a contribution to the cultural heritage of the people of Azerbaijan.
Project Manager: Sitara Ibrahimbayli
Project Coordinator: Rabiyat Heydarli, Melek Bayramli, Vüsal Rahim
Author: Lesley Gray
Art Directon & Design: Vasif Karimli
Editor: Nijat Mammedov
