Azerbaijan is presenting its rich cultural identity and contemporary artistic thought at the Venice Biennale, one of the world’s most prestigious art platforms, this year again.

On May 7, the opening of the Azerbaijan pavilion at the International Art Exhibition – the Venice Biennale, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture, with the support of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Italy, took place.

The Azerbaijan pavilion is located in Campo della Tana, one of the architectural monuments of the 16th century in Venice, and this time is represented by the project “The Attention” by Honored Artist Faig Ahmed. “The Attention” is Azerbaijan’s contribution to one of the most important international platforms of contemporary art. The centerpiece of the pavilion is the carpet, which is a fundamental and recurring element in the artist’s artistic practice.

The pavilion presents not only the artistic and aesthetic world of Azerbaijan to a global audience, but also its tradition of philosophical thought, cultural memory, and modern technological vision.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Anar Alakbarov said that Azerbaijan’s successful representation at the Venice Biennale for 19 years is one of the important achievements of our country’s international cultural policy. He emphasized that the basis of this success is the consistent and purposeful activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to promote Azerbaijani culture in the world. “Participation in such a prestigious platform as the Venice Biennale is a rare opportunity to convey the rich cultural heritage and potential of contemporary art to an international audience,” - Anar Alakbarov noted.

In his speech, the President of the Venice Biennale Pietrangelo Buttafuoco said that the Azerbaijani pavilion is not only an art event, but also a deep spiritual and aesthetic experience. He noted that the universal language of art, through the colors and signs reflected in Azerbaijani carpets, directs a person towards his inner world. According to P. Buttafuoco, art is a common spiritual need of humanity, and this beauty has the power to unite people, transcending borders, languages, and generations. He assessed Azerbaijan as one of the integral and important partners of the Venice Biennale.

Azerbaijani Ambassador to Italy Rashad Aslanov emphasized that the national pavilion is not only a place where works of art are exhibited, but also an important platform that presents the spirit, history and cultural identity of Azerbaijan to the world. The Ambassador drew attention to the special importance of this project in terms of international cultural cooperation and dialogue between civilizations.

Gwendolyn Collaço, curator of the national pavilion of Azerbaijan at the 61st Venice Biennale, thanked everyone who contributed to this work and spoke about the presented project.

The author of the “The Attention” project, Honored Artist Faig Ahmed, is one of the artists distinguished by his unique visual language in contemporary art. The carpet, which acts as a key element in his work, has once again become the central philosophical symbol of the project. Traditional Azerbaijani carpet art is presented here not only as a decorative element, but also as a metaphor for collective memory, time and human consciousness.

The conceptual basis of the project is the philosophical heritage of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Imadaddin Nasimi. Inspired by the Hurufi system of thought, the exhibition invites the viewer to a journey of inner thought through an immersive and multimodal spatial solution. Here, letters, signs and symbols are presented as the secret codes of the universe.

One of the most striking features of the “The Attention” project is the synthesis of traditional art and advanced technologies. The exhibition integrates quantum-based systems, neuroreactive and data-based technologies, creating a new aesthetic and philosophical experience. The project draws parallels between Hurufi philosophy and modern quantum physics: in both approaches, reality is not immutable, but is formed through attention, interaction and interpretation.

Thus, “The Attention” becomes not only an exhibition, but also an artistic manifesto of contemporary philosophical thinking about human consciousness, information, memory and reality. In the reality of the modern world, characterized by information overload, chaos and uncertainty, the project calls on people to once again search for inner harmony and spiritual connection.

This year’s presentation of the Azerbaijani pavilion once again demonstrates that our country, in addition to being an active participant in global cultural processes, successfully continues its role as a spiritual and aesthetic bridge between the East and the West.

The Venice Biennale, held since 1895, is a huge platform where world art is presented.

Our country has been participating in the Venice Art Biennale, which is held every two years, since 2007. In 2025, Azerbaijan was represented for the first time at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

Azerbaijan attracts the attention of the audience with different expositions at the Venice Art Biennale every time. In previous years, the Azerbaijani pavilion has also been included in the top five among the participating countries, being included in the list of magnificent pavilions. The fact that our country always presents works by various artists and sculptors at this international art platform plays a special role in promoting Azerbaijani art and contemporary artists in the world and in cultural exchange.

The 61st Venice Art Biennale, which will welcome visitors from May 9 to November 22, will continue.