DOLLHOUSE

A holiday is always nice. Everyone needs holidays: both children and adults. In particular, the art celebrations. Theatre, film, television provide an opportunity to enjoy the wonderful world of fantasy of writers, directors, artists, composers and actors. Exhibition is quite different. They provide not only food for thought but also an opportunity for the development of imagination. In particular, such exhibitions as “doll art”, in which R+ visited the Heydar Aliyev Center. Both children and adult can interpret here. We observed a remarkable picture where two mothers and two children of ten years old were going through one exhibit to another and enjoyed guessing the characters of fairy tales and literary works. Mothers told them what they did not know. I thought that the best option for walks together on the weekend and cannot be. Firstly, because the expanding horizons of children, and secondly, instilled a taste for the beautiful, and, thirdly, there is a trust between parents and children.

Games with reality

- Mom, who is Vera Kholodnaya? And why is she cold (“kholodnaya” in Russian, Ed.)? - the boy asked his mother. And mom said immediately: She was a movie actress but a very old movie with no sounds and colors.

- How come? - the boy asked. - Movie without sounds is not a movie.

- In the 20^th century, the cinema was different. People first invented photo, then a movie, and finally the sound.

- But why is she cold?

- This is not her real name. This was invented to arise interest of spectators. Her real name was not suitable for popularity at that time.

Then we heard the explanatory texts about the character of Manon, and then an entertaining story about Columbine and Pulcinella, about life in the city of Baku in the early 20^th century, inspired by the work of “Gocha and Russian Beauty”. And then the children themselves became known as heroes, determining their external appearance fantastic. I wanted to take part in this conversation, but we did not do it, but simply went to a pleasant journey into the world of artistic fantasy, fairy tales come to life, the world of hidden souls of artists who create dolls in the soul remain children. It was not easy to make them because there you can see 230 dolls from 16 countries in the exhibition hall: Azerbaijan, USA, Germany, Belgium, Australia, Czech Republic, Belarus, Italy, France, Israel, Latvia, Russia, Northern Cyprus, Ukraine, Indonesia and Japan. Frankly, the phenomenon is very special and joyful because the works are made highly professionally, with a refined aesthetic taste, and each “guest” has a well-defined place to “live”. Here fantastic and fictional characters, interspersed with historical and original characters, fantasy born of independent artists “settled” for some time, and I want to believe that they will see many - Society and guests of the capital.

- Grandma, why does this Pinocchio have ears like a troll?, asked a girl.

- Because he loved to eavesdrop, said grandma and the girl was silent for a long time.

Meanwhile, the racks were full of dolls made as ladies and gentlemen, birders and dancers, forest dwellers, houses and artisans.

- Interesting, said a slim brown-haired woman to her companion, do they communicate with each other?

- Yeah, replied the guy. They visit each other to drink tea when the night comes.

- You're wasting laugh. Doll - a magical creature. Anything can happen.

- Of course, maybe – smiled the guy. - Midnight rustle of fairy tales!

- You do not understand - tried to convince brown hair. - Doll for the artist - is a way of playing with reality.

Dolls are different

We wandered from rack to rack for half an hour staring at the faces of dolls, each with her own life story. Very interesting works: expressive, emotional and artistically credible, convincing. Many countries and many artists. It is difficult to prefer some of them. Azerbaijan is represented by the works of Elmira Abbasli, Shamil Askerov. But Elmira Abbasli’s works stand out. Not because they are associated with the national character, or more attractive because they are “our own”. No. It is because her dolls play with the reality in a much more expressive, convincing and truthful way. Take a look at Galib or Melikmamed, or Simurg which is about to take off into the sky! Look at the Happy Shepherd or Dance! What about Gochu and a Russian girl? It's just a story ready for choreographic sketches! It is a pity that this exhibition is not forever. Someday it will be closed. And it would be great if we had a museum of dolls. This was established in St. Petersburg in the 90s of the last century, and today it is one of the favorite places for children, which are played performances and interactive activities. In Kiev, they have the International Salon of dolls named “Kyiv Fairy Tale”. Maybe we ever will find a doll house where you can not only spend time, but also to develop imagination, creative thinking, host events, and simply enjoy the wonderful art dolls. Besides dolls today is very widely used in psychology. Russian psychologists developed unique methods of psychological correction, which is designed for children with difficulties in behavior and communication. Doll - the main tool. A few dolls - this is theater! 

We did not want to leave at all. For almost two hours, we have seen both children and adults, and teenagers, and the elderly. Dolls are the subject of public attention. They are interesting and demanded as a kind of applied art. They fascinate and attract magnetically, giving the feeling of a small holiday. Therefore, we strongly recommend to those who have not yet had time to visit the Heydar Aliyev Center, be sure to go there. This is a very nice place for family holidays.