Carpet Museum fosters inclusivity and accessibility [EXCLUSIVE]

Strikingly beautiful, Azerbaijani carpets never cease to amaze with the splendor of colors. Casting a glance is enough to experience a trip to the past when unique carpet weaving techniques were born.

Being one of its kind, Azerbaijan Carpet Museum cherishes the traditional carpet weaving traditions. The museum's collection includes over 14,000 exhibits with centuries-old history.

Through its activities, the museum fosters an environment of inclusivity and accessibility. Restoration of the Carpet Museum's Shusha branch is also of particular attention.

In her interview with AZERNEWS, Azerbaijan Carpet Museum director, ICOM Azerbaijan National Committee President Shirin Malikova has provided insight into the museum's latest projects and future prospects.

- In January, the Carpet Museum presented "A new look at national heritage" project jointly with Azerkhalcha OJSC, AFFFAIR brand, and Kapital Bank. What is the essence of the project?

- The project follows last year's project co-organized with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation at the Heydar Aliyev Center. The previous project featured a carpets presentation and Rufat Ismayil's AFFFAIR in Carpets fashion show, inspired by Azerbaijani carpets. The current project is a continuation of the previous one, but this time new carpets have been woven in accordance with the designer's collection. Within the project, Azerkhalcha craftsmen wove carpets based on Rufat Ismayil's sketches, and textile decor of five dresses from his collection. Interestingly, the design of the dresses echo with elements of ancient Karabakh carpets: Achma-yumma, Karabakh, and Nakhchivan as well as Shabakali carpet by the People's Artist of Azerbaijan Eldar Mikayilzade and Paziriq carpet from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, which is known as the oldest pile carpet in the world. Each of the five carpets based on Rufat Ismayil's collection was produced in only 25 copies, and one copy of each was donated to our museum. The project, which the head of Azerkhalcha Emin Mammadov describes as a synthesis of ancient traditions and modern trends, has become another step in the modernization of the ever-living art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving, as well as its promotion worldwide. Carpet weaving feeds the imagination of art people with new ideas, which open new directions in such seemingly traditional and familiar ways.

- Azerbaijani carpets have been demonstrated in Romania. How do you assess the public's interest in the exhibition "Azerbaijani Carpets: Learning Through Art"?

- Over 13,000 people have visited the exhibition in a month and a half. The project was co-organized by the National Carpet Museum, Brukenthal National Museum, and the Romanian Embassy in Baku, the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, and the Sibiu Branch of the Romanian Association of the Blind.

Remarkably, it was the first exhibition of foreign carpet art in Romania. The exhibition was of great importance in terms of Azerbaijan's representation in Romania, for its culture and the museum work development.

Azerbaijan and Romania enjoy fruitful relations. At the time of the exhibition's opening ceremony, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev was in Romania and the two countries agreed on a strategic partnership on green energy supply. And at the end of January, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis arrived in Azerbaijan. He also visited the Carpet Museum and we informed him about the exhibition in the city of Sibiu. The exhibition opened its doors at the Romanian Contemporary Art Museum, which is a part of the Brukenthal National Museum. The Carpet Museum presented 15 flat-woven and pile carpets (19th & 20th centuries), representing different carpet schools. Among the exhibits were Dragon carpets (Garabagh) associated with the post-Safavid era. From the name of the exhibition, it is clear that we tried to focus on its interactivity. The exposition also included carpet samples made by the Carpet Museum employees, specially designed for visually impaired people. They were labeled in Braille in Romanian. These exhibits attracted the interest of both members of the Society for the Visually Impaired and the Brukenthal National Museum, and now this museum is also planning to start inclusive activities.

Apart from that, the Carpet Museum held a master class on carpet weaving in Romania, which was a great success. This exhibition project is intended to be the first sign of the cooperation between the Carpet Museum and the Brukenthal National Museum, whose collection includes Azerbaijani carpets. We also noticed Azerbaijani carpets in churches and other museums in Romania. In the near future, we are planning to publish a book about these carpets together with the Brukenthal Museum.

- What new exhibits have been added to the museum's collection?

- The 19th-century earrings purchased last year from Bonhams 1793 Limited are among the museum's major acquisitions. The purchase became the first transaction in the history of the national museum business with this auction house. Two pairs of rare earrings in finished shape are excellent examples of the Qajar style, which amazes everyone with their workmanship. Also, I would like to mention three Garabagh embroideries. One of them, early 18th-century Garabagh embroidery, was purchased last year from a private collector with financial support from PASHA Holding. Its ornament goes back to the Khatai carpets. The embroidery adorns our exposition. As for the other two embroideries, they were acquired by the museum quite recently and will soon be presented to the general public.

- How is the Carpet Museum going to attract new visitors in the coming months?

- This year, our museum plans to hold an international scientific conference "Intercultural dialogue and ethnic identity", dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev. The conference will bring together participants from Turkiye, South Korea, and Japan as well as European and Central Asian countries. The exhibition dedicated to the anniversary of the national leader will also be dated to coincide with the conference.

The Carpet Museum also gets ready to host anniversary exhibitions of Azerbaijani artists. The exhibition of the People's Artist Arif Huseynov has already been held to mark the artist's 80th birthday. The next project will be devoted to Honored Artist Inna Kostina. The event is scheduled for March 10. The guests of the exhibition will see artworks in the batik technique. Meanwhile, tapestry artist Adil Shikhaliyev together with a Turkish fellow, a well-known patchwork maker. We are also planning exchange exhibitions with the National Museum of Montenegro.

This year, our museum is waiting for another significant event in its history. After so many years, the Carpet Museum's Shusha brand will start its activity in Karabakh. Founded in 1987, the museum was transferred to Baku amid the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijan's Karabakh region. Since that time, the Shusha museum branch has been operating in the Carpet Museum's main building. Now the preparations are in full swing.