BUTA FESTIVAL OF AZERBAIJANI ARTS. LONDON 2014-2015

As you might have already heard the opening of the Buta Festival just like a giant tsunami hit the city of London, a seismic wave of Azeri colours, sounds and soul. It launched on the 4th November in Royal Albert Hall with Andrea Bocelli making a surprise guest appearance and singing his immortal Time to say Goodbye.

Today the festival continues to surprise and pleases its audience with the series of divine concerts, where you can experience the unique combination of the sound of Tar and the Organ, a spiritual union of traditional Azerbaijani mugham and gospel music, classical and ethnic jazz performed by Azeri and international musicians.

The Buta Festival will not only cover Azeri music and the whole diversity of it, but will bring to the world's attention (as London actually is the World's real capital city) the uniqueness and the exquisiteness of Azeri fine and decorative art. By carefully choosing every single painting, photograph, sculpture or an installation we are aiming not only to promote but to expose and to share the richness of Azeri culture and the undoubted talent of its artists. In my blog, I will continuously update the reader with the exhibitions I'm curating within the Buta Festival.

The list of the visual events (and I am only going to mention exhibitions this time) of the festival is large, consisting of five art shows and a thrilling adventure of The Art Quest poject.

10th December - Rena Effendi, ZONES OF SILENCE photography exhibition at Mosaic Rooms

27th January - Aida Mahmudova and Faig Ahmed, double show at the Louise Blouin Foundation

2nd February- Alexandra Kremer, FACES OF FREEDOM photography exhibition at Asia House

16th February- JAVAD, exhibition dedicated to the art of Javad MirJavadov at Sotheby's Auction House

11th March- Farkhad Khalilov's solo exhibition at Saatchi Gallery.

The Art Quest, Yarat Public Art for Buta Festival will run throughout the whole festival showcasing seven exclusive artworks created by extremely talented Azeri artists associated with YARAT CONTEMPORARY ART ORGANIZATION, based in Baku. The works will appear in different outdoor and indoor venues in London, the locations of which will be held in secret until each opening. In my opinion, this is the most exciting project of the festival, not only it brings Azeri art directly to the British public, but contains a lot of secrets, signs and symbols; the mysticism of the Art Quest will lead you to discover the spirit of Azerbaijan.

FP