On January 23, the Azerbaijan National Art Museum hosted the opening of a new permanent exhibition titled “The Generation of the Sixties: Azerbaijani Art Beyond Conformism.” Created through the collaboration of the Azerbaijan National Art Museum and BP, the exhibition is dedicated to the works of leading representatives of the nonconformist art movement, which marked a significant stage in the development of Azerbaijani visual art in the second half of the twentieth century.

Speeches at the opening ceremony were delivered by Gio Cristofoli, BP’s Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye; Shirin Malikova, Director of the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art; and Farhad Khalilov, Chairman of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan. The speakers emphasized the crucial role played by this artistic movement, which emerged in the 1960s, in renewing aesthetic thinking within Azerbaijani visual art and in establishing individual creative freedom. It was noted that nonconformist artists transcended the ideological constraints of their era by synthesizing national artistic traditions with contemporary means of expression, thereby introducing a new vision and style to Azerbaijani art. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of preserving this heritage and presenting it to a broad audience, as well as on the role of the new permanent exhibition in strengthening historical memory and serving as a source of inspiration for younger generations.

The artistic program of the event featured performances of masterpieces of world classical music by People’s Artist Fidan Hajiyeva and pianist Shahin Yahyazade.

Following the ceremony, guests had the opportunity to explore the exhibition in detail.

It should be noted that the renovation and design of the new exhibition hall, curated by Shirin Malikova, PhD in Art History, were carried out with the support of BP and its partners, with the project implemented by BP’s partner company, Greentech Solutions LLC. The renovation and design were based on contemporary museum exhibition principles, with particular attention given to the conceptual and visual presentation of the artworks.