Public Programme Formula 1: Farhad Farzali
Performance, rose jam tasting and tea
Farhad Farzali’s performance Molotov Gulab intertwines chemistry, poetry, and personal memory. The work is inspired by his grandfather, Yusuf Mammadaliyev—widely known as a chemist for his World War II incendiary mixture, but less remembered as a poet. Here, the Molotov cocktail is reimagined as a vessel of rose water: in an act of rage and tenderness, bottles are hurled against walls lined with pH-test papers carrying his grandfather’s verses; upon contact, the liquid alters their color, revealing the poems. This volatile gesture merges violence and fragility, nostalgia and protest, reflecting on how personal and collective histories remain inscribed in the present.
Farhad Farzali (b. 1989, Baku) is a sound artist who combines traditional and marginal cultures, popular aesthetics and contemporary music. He conducts anthropological research on the cultural context of Azerbaijan and neighboring countries, documenting their unique forms of neo-folklore. Among various exhibitions worldwide, Farzali’s art has been presented at the 16th Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival (2014), the Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah (2023), and the first alternative Azerbaijani pop-up pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2019), along with solo exhibitions in Baku, Venice, Moscow and Paris in different years. His work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in Baku, the National Museum of Fine Arts of Azerbaijan, and Yarat Contemporary Art Space. He currently lives and works in Berlin.
The exhibition is open until 01.11.2025, every Thursday-Saturday from 13:00-18:00. The public programme is free of charge. Doors open at 19:00 and the performances start at 19:30 sharp.
