The first republican exhibition and sale of works of Azerbaijani artists and sculptors has opened at Baku Cristall Hall.
The project s co-organized by the Ministry of Culture, the State Art Gallery and the Union of Artists, Trend Life reported.
The exhibition is held at the suggestion of the world famous Azerbaijani artist, People’s Artist of the USSR Tahir Salakhov, which he expressed during the meeting of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva with culture and art workers on March 1.
At the meeting, Tahir Salakhov made a proposal to hold republican exhibitions in Azerbaijan that would bring together talented young artists.
The exhibition aroused great interest among the viewers. Prominent public figures, representatives of science, culture, business, the creative intelligentsia and youth attended the event.
At the opening ceremony, Minister of Culture Abulfas Garayev congratulated everyone on National Salvation Day, June 15, which is associated with the name of national leader Heydar Aliyev.
Garayev said that Heydar Aliyev fulfilled the great mission of saving the country, defended its independence and statehood, eliminated the social and political crisis that prevailed in the republic, laid the foundation for economic development and glorified the country throughout the world.
"The exhibition features more than 350 works of various styles and genres of 250 artists and sculptors. Anyone can purchase a piece and take it home or to the office,” said Garayev.
He added that for the first time such an exhibition and sale is organized at the state level. It is worth noting that 90 percent of works are exhibited for the first time.
“Our masters work tirelessly and create new works for the public. The country has all the conditions for creative development and activity," the minister said.
The exhibition and sale presents works from the older generation - Tahir Salakhov and Tofig Agababayev - to the youngest - 23-year-old Elchin Huseyn. The most expensive painting is the work by Tahir Salakhov "Bright morning. Nardaran" worth $400,000.
The chairman of the Azerbaijan Union of Artists Farhad Khalilov noted that exhibitions of this scale are designed to help further develop art in the country and become an incentive for young artists to develop and strive for perfection.
"If our first exhibition is organized at such a high level, then I hope that in the future it will become international in scale, and it will be possible to hold sale festivals of works by famous foreign masters," said Farhad Khalilov.
Director of the State Art Gallery Galib Gasimov, in turn, said that the distinctive feature of this exhibition is also in the fact that the works of artists of different generations not only from Baku, but also from the country's regions are presented there.
The exhibition will last until June 28. Admission is free.
