VIP tour was held for the art exhibition "Between Earth and Sky"

The Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Azerbaijan pays great importance and supports the projects in culture and art to further develop already existing bilateral cultural relations between Latvia and Azerbaijan.

On 30 March the Embassy organized a VIP tour with Reza Deghati, known as REZA, world famous photograher and journalist to the joint Latvian-Azerbaijan Art Exhibition “Between the Sky and the Earth” at the Heydar Aliyev Centre on the subject of the poetry of the great sufi - poet of 13^th century Jalal-al-Din Rumi (Mevlana). The greatest meaning of Sufi philosophy in the phrase from Rumi “Close both eyes to see with other eye” is still actual in current days as a sample of humanistic attitude.

Reza Deghati, known as REZA, world famous, an award winning independent photojournalist, Architect and philantropsit, has covered major contemporary events, wars, conflicts as well as the beauty of our humanity.  His work featured, in the major international media National Geographic, Time magazine, Stern, Newsweek, Paris Match…. Author of forty books, 360 exhibitions, his work was shown in documentaries by televisions around the world as well as National Geographic Channel. His work on Rumi’s adepts was featured in the cover on National Geographic magazine. He is a French “Chevalier of National Merit” and “Friendship “order of Azerbaijan.  Reza believes that the main ideas of Sufism is humanism and Sufism is all about the fact that we are all one and that there are no differences between man and man, faith and faith.

The Exhibition was opened on 9 March during the official visit of the President of the Republic of Latvia H.E. Mr. Egils Levits and will last until the 3 April 2023.

 Artists of the exhibition are Ieva Krūmiņa (Latvia) with the series of illustration on Rumi poetry and Reza Deghati (Azerbaijan-France) with photography works dedicated to Sufi rithuals.

The film by National Culture Center of Latvia provided by Imanta Ziedoņa Foundation “Viegli” (Latvia) as well as a multimedia work “All and Nothing” with performance and video-art by the students of YARAT Contemporary Art School (Azerbaijan) Alina Yusupova-Sabbagh and Aghamali Aliyev were also displayed at the exhibition.

Ieva Krūmiņa is a well-known artist, professor of the Academy of Art of Latvia, Head of the Textile Department. She is a member of Latvian Artists’Union and Latvian Association on Textile Artists. Ieva Krūmiņa has also prepared the presentation on “Ornamental similarities: From the Caspian to the Baltic”.

Following well-known Latvian poet and writer Imants Ziedonis recalls: “Don't live without love, without a love everything is insignificant” Ieva Krūmiņa has been looking for what peoples have in common, and when we look at each work of art, we find something of our own. Her art works lead to thoughts about mending a broken world with threads of love.

The Coordinator of the Exhibition is Honored Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sabina Shikhlinskaya.