Private Story
Baku, the silk knot
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The oil fields have turned this former Soviet republic into an extremely profitable company, whose unchallenged, acclaimed head is the president himself, Ilham Aliyev. Most of this efforts have gone into building a country that is proud of its identity and fully aware of its roots, but at the same time a secular country eager to follow in the footprints of the West and adopt its habits and lifestyle. This is why so much has been and will be invested in architecture, design and art: a sophisticated way of hardwriting its progress. Many are wondering whether this is the route Azerbaijan is going to take in order to join European club once and for all.
There's one field where the signals have been loud and clear for some time now: contemporary art.
From TAR Magazine - Heat, summer 2016.