Azernews

By Amina Nazarli

Carpet weaving, the oldest kind of applied art in the region, is originated since ancient times on the Azerbaijani land. The carpet is a symbol of comfort and security at Azerbaijani home.

The Land of Fire was famous for its carpets for centuries, long before oil was discovered here. The national carpets can be seen on the canvases of many European artists of the 15th-16th centuries.

To acquaint foreigners and local population with the beauty and colorfulness of national carpets, Baku city is hosting the 5th International Symposium on Azerbaijani Carpets, ISAC 2017 with participation of representatives of carpet weaving industry from 25 countries.

The opening ceremony of the Symposium held under the motto “Traditions and Innovations” kicked off at the International Mugam Center on October 18. The event is organized in accordance with the presidential decree “On holding of the 5th International Symposium on Azerbaijani Carpets in Baku.”

The history of this event dated back to 1983, when 30 years ago the capital hosted an international symposium on oriental carpets under the patronage of UNESCO. The previous symposium was held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the outstanding Azerbaijani carpet artist, Latif Karimov.

Participants of the conference first viewed an exhibition of carpet weaving in the foyer of the center.

Addressing the conference, Culture and Tourism Minister Abulfas Garayev gave detailed information about the symposium, saying that the event will give a great impetus to the promotion of the Azerbaijani carpet in the world.

The minister drew the audience’s attention to a relevant action plan on holding the 5th International Symposium on Azerbaijani Carpets by the Ministry, the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (ANAS) and the Azerxalcha Open Joint Stock Company.

He said that the main partners of the event are the International Conference on Oriental Carpets (ICOC) and the Hali magazine, which has been published since 1978 illuminating the processes taken place in the world of carpet weaving and enjoying a broad reader audience.

The minister further highlighted the achievements in the field of carpet weaving. He pointed out successful continuation of measures to promote the Azerbaijani carpet art internationally, which was inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as one of the achievements of the world culture are successfully being continued.

Vice-president of ANAS, academician Isa Habibbeyli spoke about scientific research in the field of study, research, propaganda of the art of the Azerbaijani carpet in the world.

He said Azerbaijan is one of the leading centers of carpet weaving in the world, adding that ANAS studies the art of carpet in several directions.

Azerkhalcha President, Professor Vidadi Muradov hailed holding this symposium as exceptional importance in the world of carpet weaving.

“The Azerbaijani carpet is a national and, at the same time, universal value, known and recognized on a global scale. The symposium allows to popularize the Azerbaijani carpet and Azerbaijani carpet weavers to get acquainted with the historical centers of carpet weaving. In the days of the event, we will be able to get acquainted not only with the historical past of the Azerbaijani carpet, but also with its current state, the development of carpet weaving as an independent branch of the economy. We will get an opportunity to assess the prospects,” he said.

Talking about the significance of the event, Alberto Boralevi, Chair of the ICOC Academic Committee said that this symposium brought together authoritative scientists representing the East and West.

He noted that the international carpet-making event that held in Baku in 1983 was one of the first opportunities for a meeting of experts on Eastern carpet, representing various republics of the former Soviet Union, with their Western counterparts.

Speaking about the history of carpet weaving in Azerbaijan, Wendel Swan Chair, Executive Committee ICOC noted that the Azerbaijani carpets cause great interest in the world, pointing out that the ancient traditions of carpet weaving in this geographical area belong to the Azerbaijani people.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry continues to remain faithful to the tradition of holding international symposiums, creating a platform for dialogue between Azerbaijani and foreign researchers and selectors of Azerbaijani carpets. Aademic sessions and a cultural program as well as number of exhibitions are held within the framework of the Symposium.

As part of the Symposium the capital also hosted two exhibitions — “Carpet-plane” and “Contemporary art in carpets”. The exhibitions to run in Baku until January 15, 2018 are put on display at the Azerbaijan State Carpet Museum, the world’s first museum of the kind, specializing in the study of these centuries-old craft.

Built in the form of a collapsed carpet in 2014, the museum has a collection of almost 5,000 exhibits. A constant temperature and special lighting are maintained in the halls not to damage natural dyes.

The first exhibition – ‘Carpet-plane’ – was organized by the Ministry, the Carpet Museum, Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts in cooperation with the Vienna University of Applied Arts with the financial support of this university and the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Austria.

This exhibition was the final part of the “Crossing” project, aiming to reflect the connection between Azerbaijani and Austrian contemporary art, to strengthen intercultural dialogue between the peoples and exchange experiences.

During the “Crossing” project, five students of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts visited Vienna, and three students of the Vienna University of Applied Arts came to Baku to get acquainted with the culture of both countries and worked together on the concept of the exhibition, based on the theme of the Symposium “Traditions and Innovations”.

The second exhibition – “Contemporary Art in Carpets” gathered five works of famous Azerbaijani artists – Faig Ahmad, Farid Rasul, CHINGIZ and Butunay Hagverdiyev, who over the past decade successfully represented modern Azerbaijani art abroad.