5^th International Exhibition “From Waste to Art” opened, October 2, at the “Qala” State History and Ethnography Reserve.

Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva made herself familiarized with the exhibition.

The exhibition was realized following the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s initiative, with organizational support of “Clean City” OJSC, supported by IDEA Public Union, “Icherisheher” State History and Architecture Reserve Administration, and “Q Gallery” Art Gallery. At the exhibition, where art works made of useless items are presented, handicrafts of 25 art representatives from 8 countries are displayed. In general, over 80 artists from 30 countries have participated in the “From Waste to Art” Exhibition over the course of 5 years. The primary objective of the exhibition is to enlighten the population on the significance of maintaining the environment clean, and make them refrain from such habits as throwing useless items directly into a waste bin, without thinking once more. Discarded items, considered useless, waste materials “revive” in the hands of artisans.

One of the works displayed at the exhibition is “Garabagh’s Dragonfish” by Mammad Rashidov (Azerbaijan). Garabagh horses are an embodiment of courage and manhood. According to the work’s conception, time is crucial for justice to win in solution of complex matters. Legendary Dragonfish has for centuries been a symbol of strength and rapid time flow. The unity of this two entities heralds that justice would win one day.

Tatyana Gomza’s work “Soft Paws” reflects a family of cats. Cats, as a gesture of “welcome”, as if wants to hug guests. Although made of a metal carcass, with rude appearance, they have soft and comfortable boots. Visitors, regardless of their age, putting them on for a moment, will sense these “soft paws”. Maybe, after having made themselves closely familiarized with this positive work of art, the idea of approaching wastes in a creative fashion will seem more real to visitors.

Plastic contamination engulfing the world oceans has become the catalyst for Ingrid Goldbloom’s (USA) work “Stream”. On the background, consisting of a mathematical model, small wastes turning into a giant vortex, having come together, is reflected. Glasses of a spectacle both show contamination of the ocean with plastic items and play a role of a window to demonstrate a problem arising from the mistreatment of wastes.

In the work “Native Street” by Catherine Monteiro from Portugal, a street cat living in waste bin has been shown together with mice and fish-bones around him. Nonetheless, as if that waste bin was full of gold and precious stones as a treasure of a pirate. The work’s conception is that an item that one considers a waste may be a treasure for another.

The purpose of the composition “Gold From Wastes” by Russian artists Nina Nikiforova and Vladimir Nikiforov is to cultivate in people the idea of “turnover of substances”, the most significant law of nature, i.e. turning wastes into usable products.

Works by such artists as Alexander Faley from Belarus, Erkin Alakbarli from Azerbaijan, Habib Saher from Iran, Jennifer Maestre from USA, Shamil Guliyev from Kazakhstan, Soso Chkheidze from Georgia, Zakariya Zakariyayev from Russia, Martins Sprogis from Latvia, Pandora Apostolovska Sazdovska from Macedonia etc. once more prove that art is an embodiment of life’s significance, and that chaos may turn into beauty and courage.

Video footages were demonstrated at the opening ceremony, on the occasion of the “From Waste to Art” Exhibition’s 5^th anniversary.

Today, wastes are used in Baku as raw material for recycling. Moreover, energy is produced as a result of burning wastes. And the exhibition “From Waste to Art” demonstrates that wastes are not just a collection of useless items, vice-versa, works of art may be created from them.

The exhibition “From Waste to Art” has been organized since 2010, following the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s initiative, in the framework of a pilot project entitled “Clean Qala”, held by “Clean City” OJSC in Qala Settlement. In accordance with the project, waste management in the settlement is carried out in a way following modern standards. Since 2015, the museum “From Waste to Art” has been operating in Qala Settlement. Here, visitors may acquaint themselves with various works created of wastes.

For those who wish to make themselves familiarized with International Exhibition “From Waste to Art”, which will continue until October 12, a bus will depart from Icherisheher’s “Gosha Gala” gates at 12:00, during three days, starting from October 3.