Policies promoting the visual arts and crafts sectors are part of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s national cultural policy, which boosts artistic creativity and promotes creative works nationally and internationally. Supporting interesting projects in various types of fine and decorative-applied arts; holding national and international symposiums, festivals, and competitions on fine and decorative-applied arts; ensuring the participation of specialists and artists in international projects and competitions; supporting the formation of art collections, preparation of programs for exhibitions and educational activities of galleries; enrichment of collections of local galleries with masterpieces of art and application of modern technologies in their activities; publication of books, films, booklets, catalogues and databases websites dedicated to visual and decorative-applied arts of Azerbaijan, and stimulation of the creativity of talented young people are integral parts of this policy. A significant measure of state support was the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan On the transfer of individual creative workshops used by Azerbaijan Artists’ Union members to their ownership (No.1251 of June 19, 2003).
The Azerbaijan State Art Gallery, as well as 34 state regional art galleries, currently operate within the Ministry of Culture system in the sphere of fine arts (graphics, sculpture, painting, and partly architecture) and decorative-applied arts (carpet weaving, jewellery, copper-smithing, armaments, pottery, etc.).
In this field, private galleries, the Azerbaijan Artists’ Union, and its regional branches in Ganja, Nakhchivan, Sheki, Lankaran, as well as other public associations, also operate. Numerous events and exhibitions are held to support the development of digital and contemporary art.
YARAT Contemporary Art Space (founded in 2011), a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to nurturing an understanding of modern art and creating a hub for artistic practice, research and thinking in the Caucasus, Central Asia and the surrounding region, implements its mission through an ongoing program of exhibitions, education events and festivals, facilitating exchange between local and international artistic networks including foundations, galleries and museums.
The country has an extensive museum network, primarily under the Ministry of Culture, which encompasses historical and local lore, as well as scientific, art, and literary collections. Additionally, the network includes patriotic and house museums that promote the country’s visual arts and crafts sector. The leading public museums in the country include the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art, the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, the Azerbaijan State J.Jabbarli Theatre Museum, the State Museum of Azerbaijani Musical Culture, and the Museum of Azerbaijani Independence.
The Baku Museum of Modern Art, the largest private museum established in 2009, collects the finest works of the Azerbaijani avant-garde, encompassing paintings and sculptures from the mid-twentieth century to the present.
Statutory goals of the “Azerkhalcha” Open Joint Stock Company are the production and export of carpets and carpet products, the organisation of their sale within the country and abroad, the application of new technologies in the production of carpets and carpet products, the modernisation of the material and technical base and its efficient use, and the implementation of other works related to the development of this field.
Realisation of the State Program for the Protection and Development of Carpet Art in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2018-2022 (No.3722 of February 28, 2018) has played a significant role in the protection and promotion of material and cultural heritage in the field of carpet weaving; implementation of measures to increase the competitiveness of carpet weaving and protect the domestic market; strengthening the export potential of carpet weaving; strengthening the human resource potential in all areas of carpet weaving; coordinating and expanding theoretical and practical scientific research in the field of carpet studies, and strengthening the material and technical base
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