"ART IS FIRST!"

Salhab Mammadov is no ordinary person and is fairly well-known in artistic circles. He is a People's Artist of Azerbaijan, secretary of the Union of Artists, deputy rector of the State Academy of Fine Arts and author of numerous works, including the famous Xocali monument in Berlin. We talked to him about the problems of contemporary fine arts, the purpose of art galleries and many other things.

- The new school year has just started. Judging by how long it has taken us to meet, you have plenty of work to do?

- We spent all summer working on the organization of different exhibitions and on student admissions. This year, about 75 students from other countries entered our academy: Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, Cyprus, Iran, etc. It's nice that young people come here for education. This means that Azerbaijani art is popular worldwide and our education is no worse than overseas. Last spring, we, together with the German embassy in Azerbaijan, held a competition among students, the winners of which will soon go to Berlin. They will see the city and get acquainted with its museums and art galleries.

And recently, the well-known German art historian and professor at the Berlin University of Arts, Inge Schmidt, shared her experiences with our students. With the support of the German embassy, our academy hosted an exhibition of the famous German sculptor and painter Gunter Jucker. He came here for the opening of the exhibition. Our students received a huge boost. After all, they saw the works of the famous painter of our time for themselves!

I think that modern creative people, including artists, should live organically with the time in which they exist. It's hard to be isolated from society. This is also a connection to the world -when you communicate with people who are creating as well. Therefore, today's painter is not someone who sees and paints. Modern creative people must be able to find the main idea in their work and understand and see this idea in themselves and in time. That is, besides the talent, imagination and basic skill, one must possess the ability to convey this fantasy in images. And only having gained experience and skill, is it possible to go further in any direction, whether it's pop art or something else. And to that end, you need to share experience, travel outside your country and be open-minded. It's necessary to keep abreast of time. You need to understand music, literature, poetry, philosophy, and only then, will you be a true artist and be in demand.

- In May this year, the Xocali memorial opened in Berlin. Tell us how you managed to place in the heart of Europe a monument dedicated to the Armenian occupation of our lands?

- The erection of the monument was initiated by me, Akif Asgarov, Ali Ibadullayev and Ibrahim Ahrari - an Azerbaijani artist and sculptor, who has been living in Germany for 45 years. The opening ceremony, which brought together a large number of people, was attended by the head of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf District government, Norbert Kopp, Azerbaijan's deputy minister of culture and tourism, Adalat Valiyev, the Azerbaijani ambassador to Germany, Parviz Mammadov, representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora, the German public and prominent figures in science and culture from both countries. The Xocali monument was erected in the yard of the famous Gottfried Benn Library, which was established in 1892. The bronze sculpture is about 2.5 metres high and successfully combines images of the Karabakh land, national designs and other symbols. The three peaks represent the unity of the family - mother, father and son. A few days before the unveiling of the monument, the Armenian diaspora raised hysteria about this and even appealed to the city hall to stop our plans. But they failed to prevent the erection of the Xocali monument. We are grateful to the Ministry of Culture and the Azerbaijani embassy in Germany for their help and participation. After all, this monument is a good reason to talk about the events of past years and the Xocali tragedy. Every day, many people walk past the monument, and they see the word Xocali. I'm sure most of them will search the Internet and learn about the history of this town and the occupation of our lands.

- You also created a monument to the discoverer of Siberian oil, our compatriot Farman Salmanov, which has been erected in Khanty-Mansiysk.

- Along with me, the creative group also included the architect Camaladdin Qadirov and the Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan, Ali Ibadullayev. When we learned about the competition to design the monument, we immediately decided to take part. And among the many works presented at the competition, which was very authoritative, our design came first. We submitted a graphic sketch of the monument and a 50-cm monumental plaster version to the competition. The whole five-metre composition with a pedestal was made totally from bronze. The very plot of the composition is highly symbolic. The background for the figure of the famous oilman was the entire glorious career of Salmanov and his heroic activities. The composition of the monument was in a modern manner that meets the spirit of the times. The sketch of the monument to the great oilman was accepted and approved by the jury, and last autumn, the monument was erected in Ugra. This monument is a token of gratitude from all the Siberians, citizens of Russia and Azerbaijan, champions of the cause which Farman Salmanov served.

- What are you working on now?

- Ali Ibadullaev and I are working on a composition that will adorn the Hotel Marriott in Baku. This will be a 4-metre torch that will be installed directly above the canopy of the hotel lobby and will be seen from a long way off.

- Despite your tight schedule, you have time to work for two galleries at once - Qiz Qalasi and Baku-Berlin. How do you keep up?

- My son Emin helps me (smiles). I've handed him the reins of power and now he is dealing with the galleries. I should note that the Qiz Qalasi gallery was established in March 1999 when I decided to turn the room, which served as my creative workshop for many years, into a unique centre of art. I should note that few people at the time, except for the Ministry of Culture, were engaged in promoting Azerbaijani art. Painters worked in isolation from each other and rarely exhibited their paintings, and some even needed financial assistance. In short, our painters were left alone with their problems. Determined to somehow support my colleagues, I opened this art gallery. I think that today picture galleries are simply vital for artists. During the Soviet era, it was fashionable and popular to show your pictures to a particular creative circle of people. Now the times have changed. Through galleries, masters of the brush can not only promote domestic art, but also sell their works. I think it's very important. Many people know that to present their work to people today, an artist must go a long way including finding the right gallery, publishing catalogues, booklets and invitations to the exhibition, etc. Our gallery Qiz Qalasi takes all the trouble of organizing an exhibition. Another gallery located in the heart of Berlin was opened four years ago. In it, we organize exhibitions of representatives of Azerbaijani art and European masters. I think this is, too, great promotion for Azerbaijani culture. In short, the gallery today is a cultural centre, which shows the culture of modern Azerbaijan.

- What are the difficulties you faced as a gallery owner?

- (Smiles) There are no special difficulties we had. The gallery is not a shop that sells fashionable clothes or shoes, and it's not a restaurant that brings a monthly income to the owner. Anyone who intends to open a gallery should remember that the main thing in this case is not personal interest. Art must come first. Maybe, if I opened a restaurant with some intriguing title in these premises located in the heart of tourist routes, I would be able to earn enough money. But I don't need it. I believe we should think not only of ourselves but also of those around us. We have to think about the prosperity of the country and its future. It's good that Azerbaijan has done a lot in this sphere in recent years. The UNESCO goodwill ambassador and president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, MP Mehriban Aliyeva, is also paying great attention to promoting national art. Thanks to her, the works of our painters are exhibited at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.