BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 23.​ bp, on behalf of
its partners in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan,
Shah Deniz and South Caucasus Pipeline projects - SOCAR, TPAO,
LUKOIL, SGC, NICO, MOL, INPEX, ExxonMobil, ITOCHU, ONGC Videsh,
Eni, MVM and TotalEnergies, has announced the successful completion
of an important social project aimed at supporting the promotion of
the non-conformist movement in Azerbaijani fine arts that emerged
in the 1960s, Trend reports.


As part of the project, bp and its partners have financed the
renovation and modernization of special exhibition halls at the
Azerbaijan National Museum of Art dedicated to the display of works
by the country’s prominent non-conformist artists.


The renovation work is aimed at improving both the aesthetic and
functional characteristics of the halls, installing modern lighting
systems and preparing wall surfaces accordingly, ensuring the
display and storage of these valuable works in optimal technical
and visual conditions in accordance with international museum
standards.


As part of the project, 800 square meters of walls, 400 square
meters of ceilings, and 330 square meters of floors were renovated,
and advanced lighting systems were installed for at least 150 works
of art, and 150 new wooden frames were prepared in accordance with
museum standards.


Works by 20th-century Azerbaijani non-conformist artists form a
significant part of the museum’s collection. The nonconformist
visual art movement, active from the 1960s to the 1980s, was formed
as a movement against the restrictions imposed by the socialist
realism of the Soviet era, rejecting it and making a significant
contribution to the creation and development of the Absheron School
of Art. Among the leading representatives of the movement are
world-famous artists Mirjavad Mirjavadov, Ashraf Murad, Tofig
Javadov, Rasim Babayev, Gorkhmaz Efendiyev, Kamal Ahmad, and the
main representative of avant-garde sculpture, Fazil Najafov.


bp's Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye,
Gio Cristofoli made a speech at an event held at the National
Museum of Art today to mark the public launch of the project.


"We are proud to support initiatives aimed at preserving and
promoting the rich cultural heritage of Azerbaijan.


The project we are presenting today directly contributes to the
promotion of the Azerbaijani non-conformist school of fine
arts.







One of the gratifying moments is that the museum's thoroughly
renovated halls are now equipped with the necessary equipment to
adequately present the magnificent heritage of Azerbaijani
non-conformist artists, which allows these unique works to be
presented to visitors in their fullness and aesthetic beauty. The
renovated halls and installed modern equipment serve to make the
amazing beauty of this cultural heritage more vivid, and to make
these valuable works more accessible to the public in all their
magnificence of all their shades and subtleties. We hope that this
project will be a significant contribution to giving the creativity
of non-conformist artists the high appreciation they deserve, both
in the country and internationally," he emphasizedş


The project, with a total value of 358,089 manat ($210,640), was
implemented by Greentech Solutions LLC.


bp has been operating major oil and gas exploration,
development, and transportation projects in Azerbaijan for 33
years, and has successfully implemented these projects in a safe,
efficient, and reliable manner. To date, bp, together with its
partners, has invested more than $87 billion in projects it has
implemented in the country. In Azerbaijan, we are committed to
supporting sustainable development initiatives by focusing on areas
where we believe we can make the most contribution.


bp’s extensive social investment activities and skills
development efforts in the country have brought significant
benefits to people, improving and transforming their lives.


The company’s social investments focus on areas such as local
capacity building, education, community development, local
entrepreneurship, the environment, increasing sports potential, and
exploring and promoting the country’s rich cultural heritage. Since
its inception, bp has spent a total of more than $111 million on
social investment projects in the country, on behalf of itself and
its operating joint venture partners.


bp employs approximately 2,389 Azerbaijani nationals in
Azerbaijan, representing more than 90 percent of the company’s
skilled workforce.


Further details on bp and its partners’ social investment
projects can be found here: www.bp.com/azerbaijan.