Rustam Gasimov
Last Sunday of the month could be remembered not only for the rainy and cold weather, but it was also interesting with a rather unusual exhibition Plagiarism held in the Modern Arts Center, which was radically different from the kind of events arranged in our city.
The project I Love Art once again united the creative youth of the capital Baku, and provided an opportunity for all fans and art lovers to see the work of young, talented, but so far unknown artists or anyone who tried to interpret the world's masterpieces of famous artists, adding something of their own, showing the work in a new light. In some cases it was a complete change of objects and characters in a particular pattern or adding an ironic detail that still lets you know the original.
The exhibition, which lasted only one day, was able to attract many young people who turned it into a real party.
ANN.Az never neglects cultural events held in our city. Now we bring to your attention an interview with the principal organizers of the project I Love Art, its Director and founder Inna Kartashova and Dinara Katibli.
How did the idea of the exhibition appear?
When we determined that we were ready to arrange the new event, the question arose of what will be the theme, what the exhibition will be devoted to and what it should be to motivate the youth of Baku. Though our last shows had a theme, the pictures were different, so the event did not have the same theme as if the works were collected spontaneously. So this time we decided to choose a specific theme, which would be interesting and offbeat at the same time. We had a lot of options, but we just stayed on plagiarism because:
First, we often exhibit this kind of "parody" on our project page «I Love Art» in the social network Facebook, and they cause huge interest among the users. Well, you see, it's funny, when Batman suddenly appears on Van Gogh’s painting Starry Night. Secondly, this kind of exhibition in Baku had never been conducted.
How many artists participated in the exhibition, how many pictures did they manage to exhibit, and was the age of the participants limited?
Age, the availability of education, gender, etc. - we never pay attention to that, because we want to make art accessible to everyone, regardless of these factors. There were brave boys who ventured for a short time to write the pictures on a fairly difficult subject, and the works turned out even more because the amount was not limited to paintings. People exhibited what they wanted to draw. Therefore, the number of pictures exceeds the number of artists and is equal to 55.
How did you choose the exhibitors?
Among the artists, there are those who have participated in previous exhibitions. We took them unconditionally and the novices were asked to send their works to determine whether their talent is suitable for the exhibition or not. We also interviewed artists on what kind of work they want to do a parody, what a composition they wanted to change, and so on. We had to know that all the pictures corresponded to the given subject and were interesting, because unlike previous exhibitions, where finished works just had to be delivered to the gallery, this time it was necessary to write paintings especially for the exhibition, as no one had ready "plagiarism" at home. Therefore, in the selection of participants, we carefully monitored the compliance of the theme with the exhibition.
Paintings by what famous artists enjoyed the greatest popularity among the exhibitors?
Most parodies by the artists were made on the paintings by the famous Spanish painter, graphic artist and sculptor Salvador Dali and the world-famous Dutch painter, postimpressionist Van Gogh. But among the exposed pictures are also parodies on the works by the Dutch artist, master of home painting and genre portrait Jan Vermeer, the Norwegian painter and graphic artist Edvard Munch, the well-known Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, the brilliant Italian artist, scientist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci, even a parody of a painting by the outstanding Azerbaijani artist Tahir Salahov, and the American artist and famous person in the history of pop art movement and contemporary art in general, Andy Warhol.
How are you going to surprise the guests at the event?
The guests of the exhibition have been provided with three large rooms with a picture gallery. And there is also a small cozy cafe downstairs, where they could sit and talk and warm up with a cup of tea with sweets in this cold weather. At 15:00 we gave diplomas to all the artists who were not afraid of unusual subjects and presented their works at our exhibition.
For the guests we have prepared a little surprise in one of the exhibition halls of the gallery. In the most distant and small room on the second floor, we did not hang a single picture. This was done intentionally. On the eve of the exhibition, on an event on the Facebook page we asked guys to write a few words about our project and its activities. We also indicated that we are willing to accept and listen to criticism, comments and advice. We thought there would be quite a lot of criticism. But it was not so at all, which surprised us pleasantly. So, let’s talk about the surprise. In this room there was an installation - simple, but at the same time unusual and interesting for guests. Subsequently, the whole room was plastered with stickers, on which guests have written testimonials about our activities. After all, especially for this we left a pack of blank stickers and a pair of pens, so that everyone could leave his wishes, criticisms and comments, and stick them directly on the wall. Thus, we learned about our pros, and, of course, our cons, which we are determined to eliminate for the next event. This was a kind of entertainment for the guests and a kind of interactive way to communicate with the audience.
Why does the project always give diplomas to all participants of the exhibition, and does not choose, for example, the winners?
Perhaps we will think about this in the future, but it is unlikely at such an event as an exhibition. You see, all the works are different and some of them may please the guests more, because of their brightness, while others can stay away unjustly. You know it is easy to hurt a painter. So we try to stay away from any competition among artists at exhibitions. For us, they are all equal, we do not distinguish those who write better, or who have expensive picture frames. For us it does not play a role. Each artist has an equal right to present his work and get a corresponding prize, well, diploma in our case.
The project I Love Art does not forget about charity. Who will receive the collected funds this time?
This time, we asked the group KID (Azeri abbreviation for Public Support for Abandoned People). This is also a private Internet project like ours and it is organized by young people, but unfortunately, it is not noticed by many people either. This project is organizing a fundraiser for seriously ill people who do not have sufficient opportunity to purchase clothing, medication or surgery. Last time at the exhibition Dream we reached out to our smaller brothers, i.e. homeless animals. Today we have decided to help people. One of the rooms was equipped with a special box, where anyone could make a donation at his discretion and in the best of his ability. As a result, 123 manat was gathered.
And what number does the exhibition Plagiarism have in a row?
The first exhibition was called Young Talents, where there was no theme. For it we received only the works by young and still obscure artists.
The second event was the exhibition Dream. The exhibition already had a theme, but as you can see, it was a very extensive one. There artists depicted the world of dreams and imagination.
The third exhibition Utopia had different vast subjects and abundance of works and artists. They were required to submit works on the theme of utopian world.
The fourth exhibition was Plagiarism, which was a different kind of theme and originality, which is unparalleled in our capital.
The project I Love Art also sells original accessories depicting paintings by famous artists. What is the reason for this initiative?
Dissemination of accessories is propaganda of art. But we do not keep the money raised for that as profit, and just cover the costs associated with the exhibition. So we have basically all on the commitment, not the pursuit of money. Cases for mobile phones, T-shirts and cups - we still focus only on those products. They are printed paintings by famous artists and illustrators. We also have T-shirts, cases and cups with the logo I Love Art. They enjoy no less demand than anything else.
Thank you for popularizing the art among the urban youth. We wish you every success in your future endeavors and look forward to the fifth exhibition with an original theme.
Thank you.
ANN.Az
