News: Lecture by Zahra Mammadova on “Horizontal Art Histories: Fragments of Art and Curatorial Practice in Azerbaijan (1990s–2010)”

From 24th to 30th June 2026, Zahra Mammadova (Masaryk University, Brno) will visit the Professorship for Transregional Knowledge Cultures (DIMAS) as a Fellow in the binational research project "Transitions: Examining Changing Regimes of Sexuality in Post-Soviet Muslim Republics" (University of Regensburg / University of Leeds). Prof. Dr. Timothy Nunan and his colleagues in the project warmly invite you to her presentation on Thursday 25 June, 10:15 - 11:45am, in SG.214 (Sammelgebäude):

Horizontal Art Histories: Fragments of Art and Curatorial Practice in Azerbaijan (1990s–2010)

This talk approaches art and curatorial practice in Azerbaijan from the late 1990s to 2010 through a horizontal art historical lens, focusing on fragments rather than a linear narrative. It brings together examples of exhibitions, artist-led initiatives, and informal collaborations that emerged during the post-Soviet transition, alongside developments in visual culture and media. It considers how artists and curators worked with limited resources while engaging with new international connections, often taking on multiple roles at once. By looking closely at specific cases and small-scale projects, and drawing on personal archives, documentation, and memory, the talk reflects on what these fragments reveal about the cultural dynamics of the period and how they connect to wider contemporary art and media contexts.

Zahra Mammadova is a curator and researcher currently pursuing a Master's degree in Visual Cultures and Art History in Brno, Czech Republic. Her curatorial work explores the postmodern human condition through themes of identity, social injustice, technology, cultural memory, ecology, and language. She is particularly interested in how contemporary art reflects the tensions between individual experience and broader social, political, and technological transformations. Her research engages with abject theory and body, everyday aesthetics, cultural memory, and the ways in which language shapes perception and social reality. She is interested in the cultural and artistic legacies of the post-socialist transition period, examining how historical ruptures, collective memory, and shifting identities continue to influence contemporary visual culture. Alongside her engagement with contemporary art, she maintains a strong interest in medieval art history, textile practices, material culture, and cultural heritage studies. She previously worked at YARAT Contemporary Art Space as a curator (2021-2025), where she contributed to exhibition development, mainly working with young and emerging artists in an experimental projects, public and educational programming, and research initiatives. Her professional experience has informed her ongoing interest in the social and educational functions of cultural institutions.

The project is generously funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC, UK) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).