UNEXPECTED STREET EVENTS

Photos made by Agdes Bagirzade are laconic and imaginative. Each of them represents a small piece of life, as if the master spied to catch the moment. A mountain path covered with snow, a deserted bird's cage, ancient majestic gate, heavy weaving of chains. Agdes feels and captures the most interesting details in the world surrounding us. Our guest today is the famous photographer from Baku, Agdes Bagirzade.

Agdes, how has it all begun? How did you become a photographer?

I have never thought of becoming a photographer. After graduating from the Bulbul secondary special music school, I was preparing to enter the Music Academy. But a few weeks before the exams, I got a hand injury, which means I had to forget about a career of musician. I entered Business Administration and Banking Department of the Western University. For some time, I have worked at the Israeli embassy to Azerbaijan, then in various travel agencies and companies in Baku. Then I realized that I was drawn to photography. My first photos were taken with an old model Zenith, which I had received from one of our family friends. Then I bought my own Zenith and just played with it for two years. My first serious work was unexpected: together with a group of students, I visited the war zone. I made my first serious report from there. Until now, photos from this series hang in the lobby of the Academy of Arts.

What was your first personal photo exhibition about?

Azerbaijani jazz musicians. I often visited Baku Jazz Club, where I liked to listen to music and shoot everything that happens during rehearsals and concerts. So, I got a whole series of interesting portraits, and I decided that the public should see them. I agreed with the Center for Modern Art and invited all of my heroes to the exhibition. But I did not tell them that it was dedicated to them. I only asked them to bring musical instruments. My musician friends were intrigued, and everyone came on the appointed day to the venue. You can imagine their surprise when, entering the hall, they saw their own portraits hanging on the walls. So, the exhibition slowly flowed into a concert, which the heroes of the exhibition staged right in the gallery hall. It turned out a kind of jazz party.

Your photos are often exhibited in different countries including Great Britain, U.S., China, Turkey, Russia, Poland, Slovenia, Austria. Tell us about your last foreign exhibition.

One of the last personal photo exhibitions took place five years ago in the center of contemporary art Zamenhof in Milan. It was called The other side of me. I was offered to organize the exhibition in Italy after the presentation in Turin, when I handed out the director of the local gallery one of my works. He liked my photo Caravan, and included it in the exposition of his gallery. This work was seen by the director of the Center for Contemporary Art at the Turin Museum, after which he contacted me and suggested organizing a solo exhibition in Milan. I gladly agreed. The exposition, which included more than 50 photographs taken in different countries of the world, lasted a month. It was a success and is considered one of the best exhibitions for that month across Italy. The main idea of ​​The other side of me is to show ordinary objects through the prism of uniqueness. Things that we often do not notice in the usual everyday routine surround us. Meanwhile, each inanimate object has its own life, its own energy and its own character. After Milan, the exhibition was organized in Madrid.

What do you like to photo the most?

Architecture, lost sight of the details of cities. By the way, interiors and architecture are one of the most difficult genres of photography from a technical point of view. Architectural photography allows you to travel in time and follow the development of the history of mankind through the masterpieces created by humanity. Several years ago, I was taking the photos of an ancient mosque of Murtuz Mukhtarov in Amirjan. It was built at the beginning of the last century. It is interesting that the inhabitants of the village started the construction of the mosque in 1901, but because of financial difficulties the construction was suspended. Then, the elders of the village asked for help from a millionaire, oil tycoon, native of the village Murtuz Mukhtarov, who immediately allocated the necessary money and assigned one of the best architects of Baku, Ziver-bey Ahmedbeyov for the construction of the mosque. On the day of the opening in 1908, akhund of the village Abu-Turab climbed the minaret of the mosque and read the sermon. The architecture of the building so impressed me that I decided to capture it, studied each wall and even climbed to the dome myself. I felt the aura of the mosque, every stone and pattern. Then I mentally asked permission of this magnificent building for photo session.

Is this is a special method of work - asking permission from a... building?

No matter how ridiculous it may sound, I always do this before I start shooting some old buildings. Before I start working, I read about the history of the architectural monument. I want to know who built it, lived in it and what difficulties it was necessary to experience. It is important for me to enter a certain state, during which I can feel the energy of this building. Fifteen years ago, I did not even think about it: I came, took pictures, looked for interesting perspectives... and that was it. Although I did everything correct compositionally and technically, the photos turned out to be lifeless. They seemed to have no soul. By the way, after the Murtuz Mukhtarov Mosque, I came up with an idea to devote my works to architecture of the past. This turned out to be a completely new series called Architectural heritage of the late 19th - early 20th century." I am working on this now.

Whose photographs do you consider real masterpieces? What genre of photo art is closest to you?

It is hard to mention specifically one genre or one photographer. When I travel in other countries, I like taking photos of people walking on the streets, making street sketches. In this genre of street photography, I like the works of Vivien Meyer, as well as two great founders of this genre, French photographers Robert Doisneau and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Their work has become a gold fund of world photography, classics of this genre. Actually, to discover the world of street photography, one needs to start with them. Robert Doisneau once said: "The wonders of everyday life are fascinating. There is no director who can organize a surprise that awaits you on the street." Street photography is good because it does not require fancy photo equipment. On the contrary: the simpler, the better. After all, the photographer should not stand out in the crowd, should not attract attention. He must become part of the street, part of the crowd. I remember when I was in Paris, I wanted to repeat the method of shooting used by Doisneau. I wanted to take the city through his eyes. He chose a specific location and recorded everything that happens within its limits for the whole day. For example, his famous shooting in a souvenir shop, a cafe or at a street crossroads. I did the same. I chose a small cafe at the crossroads and started shooting. Then I moved to a nearby park full of children and adults. I got great pleasure from this experience. These were lively, emotional and very spiritual photos. I repeated the same thing in other cities of the world. Surprisingly, it turned out that people living in different countries and speaking different languages, in fact, live equally emotional lives full of feelings. Thirst for life unites all of us...