Her Art In Action

Gazelli Art House and VarYox, a Baku-based art and media platform, are pleased to host a month-long festival focusing on female artistic practice.

This first edition of the project, titled Her Art in Action, will showcase the theme The Feminine Gaze: Seeing Ourselves and Each Other. The festival runs March 8—31 and comprises an exhibition at Gazelli Art House (until 28 April 2024) and a series of workshops, public talks, and events built around the participating artists and their work. The aim of the festival is to support professional development for Azerbaijani female artists while introducing their work to new audiences.

The exhibition will open on and will show the work of 13 Azerbaijani artists who were selected through an open call. The artworks are new commissions by the festival and will be exhibited alongside works by established Georgian, Kazakh and Kyrgyz artists who were invited to show works in response to the theme of how women’s lives are depicted in art. The artworks will be exhibited across the three floors of the gallery and include paintings, videos, performances, and installations. Through the curatorial framework, curator Olga Seleznyova intends to create a dialogue about women’s issues across the broader region.

In addition to the exhibition, two photography workshops by international photographers have been organised for Azerbaijani artists to develop their practice, and participants in the festival will also have the chance to have their portfolio reviewed by an international curator, as well as enjoy public talks by visiting artists. An additional partnership event with the boarding school, Integration Training Boarding School No.11, will be held at Nine Senses Art Center and will include activities for children.

Led by Sitara Ibrahimbayli, VarYox was initiated as the first Azerbaijani and English language art and cultural platform founded by local artists in 2018. Their mission is to display the artworks of Azerbaijani artists both social and art activism. One of VarYox’s main missions is to express that culture is the common value that unites us.

The festival is committed to support women in the arts in Azerbaijan, aiming to positively alter the stagnant trends of recent years. Let’s inspire and be inspired.

As hosting and curatorial partners, Gazelli Art House Baku is the primary venue for the events and will be announcing additional opportunities for the public to come visit the exhibition and meet the artists.

Participating artists include:

Aida Adilbekova / Kazakhstan

Sabiha Çimen / Turkey

Altynai Osmoeva / Kyrgyz Republic

Daro Sulakauri / Georgia

Fidan Abilova / Azerbaijan

Aliya Bayramova / Azerbaijan

Lali Binyatova / Azerbaijan

Kafiye Eyvazova / Azerbaijan

Fidan Humbatli / Azerbaijan

Ulviyya İman / Azerbaijan

Sitara Ibrahimbayli / Azerbaijan