Artmongering in Azerbaijan
Artmongers were invited by Yarat – a contemporary arts organisation based in Baku, Azerbaijan – to run a three week education program, ending in the production of a contemporary art installation for the city.
Following successful projects in London and Buenos Aires, we focused again on children’s hospitals. We found them to be immaculate, well-organised, and rather sterile. A perfect canvas.
Through a series of talks at Baku University, dozens of students from the arts, architecture, design and even chemistry got involved, with a core team of around eight putting in a lot of time, energy and enthusiasm. Meeting each day for a three hour workshop, we worked through our ideas. We interviewed staff, observed the way the spaces were used, and ran two focus groups with patients and their parents to identify their needs and dreams.
Inspiration came from the geographical location of Azerbaijan. We kept asking, is it in Europe? The Arab world? The former Soviet Union? All seem to be true, but in the end we featured Arabic numerals, which can be found in use all over the world.
The final piece consists of a wrap around mural, covering the whole space and a collection of handcrafted soft play shapes that could be used as giant jigsaw pieces to make the numbers 1-9. They can also create private spaces, adventurous landscapes for hide and seek, and a place to lean while you read in peace or chat with a friend.
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