As Elnara Nasirli’s recent exhibition in Baku comes to an end, Trudy Ross looks at the themes and inspiration behind her Fluxus Frequency Collective
This weekend, Elnara Nasirli’s solo exhibition Fluxus Frequency Collective at the Gazelli Art House, Baku, came to a close. It was celebrated with an exclusive artist panel discussion, casting light on Nasirli’s works and artistic identity, from her diverse selection of global influences to an intimate exploration of the techniques and themes used across her oeuvre. Dubai-based curator and researcher Lesley Ann Gray moderated the discussion, drawing on her expertise in contemporary art and museums in the Arabian Gulf and Caspian Sea regions. Traditional Azeri tea was served as live music played, finishing with a spray paint performance.
Elnara Nasirli, “Expansive Energy – Mother’s Love”, 2022
Nasirli’s exhibition was inspired by the Fluxus movement of the 1960s, which focused on experimentation and collaboration across all disciplines while deriding the traditions and pretensions of the art world, breaking boundaries with interactive and performance-based works. Nasirli’s immersive exhibition combined sound, visuals, and viewer participation to form an alternative reality and redefine perception.
Elnara Nasirli, “Fluxus”, 2023
She delved into the concept of frequencies, encompassing sound waves and the broader spectrum of human experiences, contemplating the Latin term “Fluxus”, meaning “flowing”, and emphasising the artistic journey over the final outcome. Nasirli told Baku: “Fluxus, for me, means constant creation, regardless of what’s happening internally or externally for everyone…It’s an immersive exhibition that combines sound and visuals, and pushes the boundaries of traditional artistic expression.”
Elnara Nasirli, “(FLOW)er”, 2023
Every artwork in the exhibition was paired with a piece of music to create a synesthetic audio-visual experience. Viewers lost themselves in a new reality of flow as they were guided through the artworks, from paintings “Expansive energy – a mother’s love” to the (FLOW)er installation, the growing centrepiece of the exhibition which created synchronal music through living plants.
Elnara Nasirli is an Azerbaijani artist based in Baku with a background in politics and environmental technology. Her next exhibition will be showcaed at MoMA Tbilisi at the end of November, 2023.
Find out more: gazelliarthouse.com
All images courtesy of Gazelli Art House
