Foreword

Cultural dialogue has, down the ages, always been an important element of a state’s foreign policy; the acceptance of other peoples and their cultures is essential to political and social rapprochement. International cultural events provide a platform for the presentation of the state’s cultural achievements and particularities, as well as for cultural dialogue. Such events are also a crucial venue for cultural reflection and response to challenges arising in ever changing political, economic and social contexts.
 

La Biennale di Venezia, a tradition of more than 120 years captures, as always, the spirito del tempo, the international pulse, by reflecting the main trends in international creativity, thus its reputation as the “mirror of the art world”. The main reasons for La Biennale di Venezia’s popularity within modern social development include not only the creative communication between artists and curators, but also the dialogue, and even integration, of different cultures and worldviews conducted here, on the themes and perspectives presented here. The social aspects of these themes do not inhibit demonstrations of cultural diversity, on the contrary, they underscore the fact that culture is integral to human life.
 

Standing at an intersection of routes and cultures, Azerbaijan was historically determined to be multicultural. Different peoples and religions have lived here for centuries, creating a unified, noble and colorful culture, and here the people of Azerbaijan have instructive experience in facilitating cultural dialogue. A happy participant in international art exchange, the country presents its rich culture to the world and has been a regular participant in La Biennale di Venezia since 2007.
 

The Azerbaijan Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia is organized to the theme From Caspian to Pink Planet: I Am Here. Contact between different forms of art is clearly visible in the single artistic space here; represented by three artists it provides viewers, too, with an opportunity to discover new names. Ideas of how relative, but also how strong, are ties between people and the places they inhabit are presented metaphorically. All the artworks shown in the pavilion, as well as the new technologies used to convey an artistic idea, respond to Stranieri Ovunque / Foreigners Everywhere, the Biennale’s overall theme as proposed by curator Adriano Pedrosa. At the same time, they illustrate those particularities of Azerbaijani society.
 

Communicating on processes taking place in the world in the language of art, conducting dialogue between peoples via the contact of cultures, is the most reliable path towards interaction, trust and friendship.