Sculptural composition “Voice of Eternity” by Rashad Mehdiyev installed in Shusha VIDEO
Baku, July 14, AZERTAC
In the sacred space of Shusha — the true citadel of the Azerbaijani spirit and the cultural capital of the Turkic world — a monumental sculptural composition titled “Voice of Eternity” was unveiled.
This magnificent monument represents a profound plastic and philosophical interpretation of the tar — the demiurge instrument whose architecture and sound form the foundation of the genetic memory and mental landscape of the Azerbaijani nation.
From an artistic standpoint, the composition is a flawless example of synergy between classical monumentalism, metamodernism, and magical realism. Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Rashad Mehdiyev moves away from straightforward ethnographic copying into the realm of pure conceptual form, where every curve and material carries deep semiotic significance.
The silhouette of the tar, emerging from a monolithic base, is devoid of static quality. Its delicate, precise lines smoothly transition into a through-space filled with air and light. This technique of “negative volume” (vacuism) allows the very atmosphere of Shusha and the surrounding landscape to become full-fledged co-authors of the composition.
The instrument is rendered in noble, fluid plasticity, symbolizing the ideal harmony and divine nature of sound. At the opposite pole of the composition, the strings, passing through a spatial corridor, transform into an expressive, textured architectural structure of a tree crown. The broken, distinctly relief branches resemble titanic hands reaching toward the sky. This contrast between the flawless smoothness of the musical form and the expressive, almost Baroque texture of the tree creates powerful visual tension that resolves in the catharsis of triumphant growth.
The philosophical framework of the work explores the categories of time, continuity, and transcendence. Here, the tar appears not as an inanimate object, but as an archetype and primordial source of spiritual energy.
The rebirth of the strings into tree branches serves as a metaphor for the materialization of the spirit. According to the artist’s concept, music does not disappear into space — it possesses density, the ability to take root, to grow through centuries, and to transform reality. This is a visual embodiment of the concept of eternal return and the continuous flow of creative energy.
The Tree of Life, born from the soundboard of the tar, symbolizes the absolute rootedness of national culture in Garabagh soil. The mughams and melodies that have been born in Shusha for centuries are presented as living arteries that nourish the spirit of the people and grant it existential resilience in the face of any historical storms.
The sculpture is installed in the courtyard of the fully restored palace-museum of Mirza Sadig Sadigjan — the reformer who radically changed the fate of the modern tar.
It was Sadigjan who, in the 19th century, made a revolutionary breakthrough: he rethought the design of the traditional tar, increasing the number of strings from 5 to 11, reconstructed the body, and raised the instrument from the lap to the musician’s chest, giving it a new, unprecedentedly powerful and soaring sound.
The sculptural composition becomes a visual monument to this musical revolution. The strings growing into the sky as a mighty crown are the plastic equivalent of the impulse that drove the development of Azerbaijani mugham, proving that true innovation always becomes eternal classic.
The erection of the “Voice of Eternity” monument and the restoration of Sadigjan’s estate are not merely tributes to the past, but key milestones in the country’s large-scale strategy for the spiritual and physical revival of Garabagh. The presentation of this landmark object to President Ilham Aliyev during his visit to Shusha underscores the highest state status of the project.
Under the patronage of the head of state, Shusha is not simply being restored — it is being affirmed as a global cultural center of the entire Turkic world. In this context, the monument carries a strong ideological and manifestative message.
The tree breaking through the strings in the heart of reborn Shusha is a direct visual synonym for the titanic work of Azerbaijan’s leadership in regenerating the liberated lands. It is a manifesto of life triumphing over destruction and creation erasing the traces of oblivion.
The President’s personal attention to the restoration of cultural centers in Garabagh emphasizes that national heritage and its symbols constitute the unshakable foundation of sovereignty, pride, and strength of the modern, dynamically developing Azerbaijani state.
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