Baku, May 15 (AZERTAC). YARAT!, a non-commercial organization dedicated to promoting contemporary art in Azerbaijan, has organized “Merging Bridges” exhibition at the Baku Museum of Modern Art.

The opening ceremony was attended by Azerbaijani first lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, and the Foundation`s vice-president, Leyla Aliyeva.

The founder and director of YARAT!, Aida Mahmudova, said the exhibition would feature works by 12 local and 13 foreign artists.

She thanked the exhibition`s London-based curator Adam Waymouth and others for their contribution to organizing the event.

“Merging Bridges” will feature acclaimed artists including the world-renowned Sarah Lucas, Keith Coventry, James Turrell, Idris Khan and Olympia Scarry. The extraordinary collection of works will be displayed alongside some of the finest contemporary artists based in Baku including Altai Sadikhzade, Aga Husseynov, Niyaz Najafov, Rashad Alakbarov, Farid Rasulov, Aida Mahmudova, Orkhan Huseynov, Nazrin Mammadova and Ramal Kazimov.

The exhibition is being co-curated by Aida Mahmudova, the founder and director of YARAT! and London-based curator Adam Waymouth. Together they will present a spectrum of work highlighting both established and emerging artists from flourishing artistic centers around the world. Throughout their careers, Mahmudova and Waymouth have endeavored to provide platforms for contemporary, in particular emerging, artists.

Founded in October 2011 by Aida Mahmudova YARAT! has, through previous projects such as the inaugural exhibition “On Soz” and the ongoing 012 Baku Public Art Festival, sparked an artistic discourse, which will be increased by an international exhibition.

Merging Bridges will further underline YARAT!`s main objective - to encourage dialogue between the global contemporary art community and that of Azerbaijan. The exhibition will also coincide with Baku hosting the European Song Contest 2012, which is expected to draw countless visitors to the city, thus bringing the artworks to a wider, international audience. Having provided a platform for both established and emerging contemporary artists in Baku, YARAT! will further its nurturing of this artistic community by showcasing their work alongside celebrated international artists. Just like their counterparts, the participating Azeri artists have wide-ranging experience; from the internationally acclaimed Altai Sadikhzade, who designed and coordinated the construction of the Baku Museum of Modern Art to Faig Ahmed, who was chosen to represent Azerbaijan during their first appearance at the Venice Biennale in 2007.

A specially commissioned installation by the internationally recognized Idris Khan will also be exhibited at “Merging Bridges”. Khan is best known for his digitally manipulated prints which explore the history of music and text within both Western and Islamic traditions. For this exhibition however, the artist will present a sculpture formed by four panels of rusted steel which have been sandblasted with the score from Oliver Messiaen`s Quartet for the End of Time (1941) which was composed whilst he was in a German prison camp.

Sponsors of the exhibition are Italdizain Group, Bakcell telecommunication partner, Rapid Solutions, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.