Farhad Farzali

Born in 1989 | Baku, Azerbaijan

Contact: ffarzaliyev@gmail.com
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Education:
2022 - ongoing: Berlin University of Fine Arts, Sound Studies and Sonic Arts, MFA
2012: Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts, Architect-Artist, MFA
2010: Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts, Architect-Artist, BA 


Farhad Farzaliyev is an artist working with a variety of media such as installations, graphics, sound, performance art, video, and paintings. The artist’s involvement with the art world dates back to 2007. Since then, the artist’s work has been displayed in more than 40 exhibitions (both solo, and group) both in the local and international areas. Farzaliyev has also curated several exhibitions. In 2014, through YAY gallery (2012-16), he participated in Start Art Fair 2014 at The Saatchi Gallery in London. Although the artist regularly switches between various genres and styles, the main interest of Farhad’s art is invariable - the culture, customs, traditions, and national identity of Azerbaijan. Farzaliyev has described his country as the “only muse of my art”.

The main materials of Farzaliyev’s work are the general aesthetic of the particular age group, and sometimes subcultures that make up a great proportion of the population. One of the most prominent elements in the artist's work - the tiger pattern is inherent in the garderobe of Gen Z and late Boomers women in Azerbaijan. The tiger toy Farhad redesigned in “I Am Your Only Tiger” was a popular item in the 90s and such toys can be found in most Azerbaijan houses. Such references to nostalgia can be seen in the artist's other works as well. In “Mugham Karaoke” the artist combines karaoke - entertainment popular among the young generation with Mugham - one of the main genres of traditional Azerbaijan music, creating a thought-provoking juxtaposition displaying the coexistence of modernity and traditions. Mugham is not just a genre of music, but an important part of Azerbaijan culture and was recognized as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

In “Granny’s Vocabulary” Farzaliyev uses slogans from the older generation - grandparents on Soviet textiles. The slogans were written with neon lights by generating the coexistence of the young and old - modern and nostalgic.

Solo exhibitions:
2019: Turandokht. Radio Riddle, Private Garden, Venice, Italy (curated by Asli Samadova)
2017: Azerbaijan Baroque, Fragment Gallery (Moscow)
2017: Molotov Gulab, ARTIM Project Space (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2015: I Am Your Only Tiger, YAY! Gallery (Baku, Azerbaijan)

Biennale
2015: Greater Caucasian Pavilion, The main program of the 6th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, VNDKh (Moscow)
2014: ASTAR, A Time for Dreams, 4th Moscow International Biennale for Young Art.

Selected Group Exhibitions
2020: Things, Anna Nova, Saint Petersburg, Russia (curated by Alexey Maslyaev)
2020: Way Back Home, Gazelli Art House, Baku, Azerbaijan ‘
2020: EXTENSION.AZ: Off the Velvet Chest, Смена, Kazan, Russia (curated by Asli Samadova)
2020: New Viewings, Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin, Germany (curated by Thibaut de Ruyter)
2020: Taus Makhacheva: Hold Your Horses, The Tetley, Leeds, UK (curated by Taus Makhacheva)
2019: EXTENSION.AZ: Off the Velvet Chest, Triumph Gallery, Moscow, Russia (curated by Asli Samadova)
2019: Café Avarice & Generosity, Galerie Dix9, Paris, France (curated by Azad Asifovich) 2019 2019 CI’19 PLUGIN, Istanbul Congress Center, Istanbul, Turkey (curated by Esra Özkan)
2019: ‘Bahith (seeker), Gazelli Art House, London, UK
2019: Die Grenze’ (Curated by Inke Arns and Thibaut de Ruyter) House of Youth, Tashkent, Uzbekistan Hay Art Center, Yerevan, Armenia 2018 ‘1918’ | Gazelli Art House, Baku, Azerbaijan
2018: ‘Die Grenze’ (Curated by Inke Arns and Thibaut de Ruyter)
2018: The Ural Branch of NCCA-ROSIZO, Ekaterinburg, Russia
2018: A. Kasteyev State Museum of Arts, Almaty, Kazakhstan
2017: ‘Work Never Stops’ | Tyumen Museum, Tyumen, Russia (curated by Svetlana Usoltseva)
2017: The inhuman experiences of hospitality, ММОМА (Moscow)
2017: Die Grenze, Tsereteli Art Gallery (Moscow)
2016: 300 Words on Resistance, YARAT Contemporary Art Centre (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2016: Boom Bang III, NN Contemporary Art Northampton (Northampton, UK)
2016: To Be Surprised, To Surprise, ARTIM Project Space (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2015: Candy mountains, Oil Shores, PERMM (Perm, Russia)
2015: The Review, YAY! Gallery (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2015: 3rd Baku Public Art Festival (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2014: START Art Fair, Saatchi Gallery (London, UK)
2014: Nuda Veritas, Museum of Modern Art (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2014: The 16th edition of the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival, Sharjah Art Museum (Sharjah, United Arab Emirates)
2013: Different cultures-one world, 7-th Tashkent International Contemporary Art Biennial, Central Exhibition Hall of the Academy of Arts (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
2013: ЗАВОД, Baku Air Condition Plant building (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2013: Eko Art, Museum Center (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2013: From Waste to Art, Gala Archeological and Ethnographic Museum (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2013: The World Is Yours, The World Is Mine, Kicik QalArt (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2013: Process 2013, The Central House of Artists (Moscow, Russia)
2012: Group exhibition of Members of Artists Union of Azerbaijan, Artists Union of Azerbaijan (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2012: Aluminum 5, The International Biannual Festival, Museum Center (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2011: Group exhibition of Members of Artists Union of Azerbaijan, Artists Union of Azerbaijan (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2011: Artist in Residency 2011, Ausstellungsraum des BMUKK (Vienna, Austria)
2010: At The Cross Of XX Century, Azerbaijan State Museum of Art (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2009: Aluminum 4, The International Biannual Festival, Museum Center (Baku, Azerbaijan)
2008: Steps of Time, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden, Germany)
2007: Aluminum 3, The International Biannual Festival, Museum Center (Baku, Azerbaijan)

Curatorial Projects
2017: 100% Made in Azerbaijan, ARTIM Project Space, Baku, Azerbaijan
2015: Candy mountains, Oil Shores, PERMM (Perm, Russia)
2013: Zavod, Baku Air Condition Plant building (Baku, Azerbaijan)

Sources:
http://www.yarat.az/index.php?lang=en&page=25&yrtArtistID=27
https://gazelliarthouse.com/artists/farhad-farzaliyev/overview/
https://artfacts.net/artist/farhad-farzaliyev/473305
http://www.unesco.az/?options=content&id=7&language=en#:~:text=On%207%20November%2C%202003%2C%20UNESCO,Intangible%20Cultural%20Heritage%20of%20Humanity.

“Rewriting Childhood” project, 2022 Baku, Azerbaijan
The group exhibition between artists Agil Abdullayev and Farhad Farzali



“Happy birthday, Marina!” installation, 2017
40 C-Prints | A2
Moscow, Russia