YARAT Contemporary Art Space is pleased to present the group exhibition “Me and the Ark, Me and the Great Flood” featuring works by local and international artists.
“The main goal is not only to honor the indelible legacy of Nasimi as one of the greatest thinkers in human history, but also to showcase his profound thoughts on human nature and the meaning of life,” Konstantin Doroshenko, the curator of the exhibition, told AZERTAC.
Inspired by a contemporary interpretation of Nasimi’s philosophy, the group exhibition presents sculptures, installations and audiovisual projects commissioned by YARAT by Azerbaijani artists Tarlan Gorchu and Orkhan Huseynov, and artists Mladen Milyanovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Pavla Nikitina (Czech Republic). The exhibition also features new projects, as well as works in various media by Mykhailo Alekseyenko, Volodymyr Budnikov and Vlada Ralko (Ukraine), Rimas Sakalauskas (Lithuania), Natalia Vatsadze (Georgia), Ali bey Huseynzade, Salim Turan and Elturan Mammadov (Azerbaijan).
In the 14th century, Seyid Imadaddin Nasimi wrote, “All the world is human.” His philosophy states that every person perceives reality through the prism of their own experience, shaping the world around them. Each of us perceives reality through the lens of personal experience, and with every individual’s passing, an entire world—one that existed uniquely within their consciousness—ceases to exist. This underscores our responsibility not only for ourselves but also for the world we shape through our actions and the choices we make.
Nasimi’s words, “I am the watcher and the watched, I am both light and darkness, old and young,” take on new relevance in the digital age, where social networks blur the boundaries between the individual and the collective. The ability to speak for oneself and the growing awareness of identity in all its diverse facets bring the issue of respecting boundaries—both personal and international—to the forefront. The right to dignity and sovereignty foregrounds processes of inclusion and decolonization. Nasimi's voice is among the factors that provide support, inspiration, and hope in this context, as well as undermine colonial hierarchies built on knowledge.
Philosophical parallels can be found in the thoughts of Ukrainian neurophysiologist Oleg Krishtal. He compares the human brain to a “time machine” moving between two infinities. His formula resonates with Nasimi's philosophy: “Infinity outside, infinity within, and in between – myself.”
The exhibition will run until October 26.
