Exhibition Abiding Values
Between the Republics of Azerbaijan and Serbia are social and political relations, as well as wide cooperation in the field of culture. The Azerbaijan Carpet Museum and the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade signed a five-year Memorandum of Cooperation in the areas of museum activities and the safeguarding of cultural heritage. Due to the Memorandum, at the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum was held an exhibition of marvelous Pirot kilims from the collection of Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade on October 2016.
In continuation of the cooperation, on June 1, 2017, an opening ceremony of the Abiding Values exhibition was held in the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade. The exhibition is organized within a series of events dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum. The exhibition is curated by Dr. Shirin Melikova, Director of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, President of the ICOM Azerbaijan National Committee, docent of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts and designed by a well-known Austrian architect Christian Sturminger.
The opening ceremony were attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, other high-ranking state and governmental officials, the Serbian society, diplomatic corps in Belgrade; Directors and members of the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Belgrade, Azerbaijan-Serbia Trade Chamber, and Serbian-Azerbaijani Friendship Society, as well as Azerbaijanis living, working and studying in Serbia, and mass media representatives.
Dr. Mirjana Menković, Director of the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade, Dr. Shirin Melikova, Director of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, Mrs. Zarifa Alizade, Director of the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Belgrade, and representative of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia had speeches. They said that the exhibitions of the Serbian Pirot kilims in Baku in last year and exhibits of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum in Belgrade contributed to this cooperation and led approchement of our peoples and met similarities and differences in our cultures.
The Abiding Values exhibition of 47 exhibits demonstrate flat-woven carpets, carpets products, and pile carpets from the 19th ‒ early 20th centuries, author carpets of the outstanding scientist and artist, the founder of the carpet weaving science and the founder of the Carpet Museum, Latif Karimov, as well as 19th-century copper products, embroidery and traditional costume. Three showcases feature the role of carpet in a daily life of the population, its importance in the spiritual and aesthetic aspects.
During the event, Azerbaijani folk song, Tofig Guliyev’s songs and Mugham Bayati-Shiraz were performed by Serbian and Azerbaijani musicians.
The Abiding Values exhibition was met with great interest by Serbian people and the opening ceremony was announced in Serbian Media and TV channels.
The Abiding Values exhibition will last until 1 July.
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On June 2, at the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade in the framework of the exhibition the 50th Anniversary of the First Carpet Museum in the World lecture was held. The lecture was read by Dr. Shirin Melikova, Director of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, President of the ICOM Azerbaijan National Committee, docent of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts. Students and lecturers of the Design Faculty of the University of Arts in Belgrade, Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade, artists, and representatives of the Belgrade museums attended the lecture.
At the lecture, Dr. Melikova told about the history of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum, its main activities, collections, and educational programs. She gave an analysis of the collections, answered to the questions of the listeners about carpet weaving art and ornaments, which adorned the carpets. She also presented to the public the unique carpet of the Karabakh carpet weaving group that was returned back from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
At the lecture was announced upcoming 5th International Symposium on Azerbaijani Carpets and carpet-tour organized in the frame of this symposium.
The lecture was held in English.
