In 2012, with the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation a monument was erected in
Sarajevo to honor the victims of Srebrenitsa and Khojaly genocides.
In 2012, within the “Justice for Khojaly” campaign the documentary “Endless corridor”,
dedicated to the 20
th
anniversary of the Khojaly genocide was presented in Baku.
The Maiden Tower International Art Festival
In 2010-2012 the Gyz Galasy (Maiden Tower) International Art Festival was held in Baku
under the auspices of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Icherisheher (Inner City) State Historic
&
Architectural Administration under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Republic and
the Modern Art Museum.
More than 20 recognized artists from 18 countries took part in the 1
st
festival aiming at
promotion of the Maiden Tower, the capital city’s signature landmark located amidst
Icherisheher, Baku’s Inner Town, inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List in
2000. 25
well-known artists from 20 countries took part in the 2
nd
festival. By decorating the
Maiden Tower’s scale models in their own national style and patterns, they succeeded in
creating the works of art providing synthesis of various cultures and traditions. These works will
become an essential tool in promoting the Maiden Tower, a part of the world cultural heritage,
by being demonstrated in various countries across the world.
There were 24 artists in the 3
rd
international festival. To draw public attention to the
“
Caucasian Big Five” – the animals in danger, the IDEA ecological campaign prepared figures
of gazelles. Those figures were decorated by the artists from the previous years, who had already
become the friends of the project. Another aspect of the festival was using the video-mapping
technology on the Maiden Tower.
During the closing ceremony, “Maiden Tower” art projects of previous years were
projected on the tower, with the help of 30 projectors from 7 different angles.
Photo exhibition “Azerbaijan through a Foreign Lens”
“
Azerbaijan through a Foreign Lens” photo exhibition was held at the Modern Museum
of Modern Art on July 12, 2011 with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and United
Nations Development Program. More than 90 colored and white-and-black photos, taken by the
foreign diplomats and businessmen working in Azerbaijan, were demonstrated at the exhibition.
600
photos by the citizens of 30 countries were presented, following the announcement of the
UNDP Azerbaijan. These photos described how foreigners saw the wonderful beauty of our
country through nature sceneries and lives of ordinary people.
“
Azerbaijan through a Foreign Lens” praised varied and ancient culture, rich
architectural traditions and the recent development of our country. All the photos exhibited
belonged to the personal collection of the foreign diplomats and businessmen, which made the
event even more interesting.