Projects

Спектакль «Норма»
Что такое норма? Что-то привычное, понятное, оптимальное? Или просто то, что встречается чаще всего? То, что порой проглатываешь молча, как горькую пилюлю, жмурясь и кривя рот: что поделаешь, это нормально. В основе иммерсивного спектакля «НОРМА» – поэма Лейли Салаевой «Ненужный человек». Режиссер: Микаил Мердинли и Атика Алиева
Why Her?
"Why Her?" is a series of short videos about renowned female poets. Leyli Salaeva offers a concise and unique perspective on women's poetry, revealing the value of reading poems by women authors. The series include Elizabeth Bishop, Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, Gertrude Stein, Mary Oliver, Nigar Rafibeyli, Mehseti Ganjavi.
Twofold
Twofold is a collaboration between artist Shalala Salamzadeh and poet Leyli Salayeva for the Art on the Wall project of Ta(r)dino 6 Art Platform. AR (Augmented Reality) features are added as an additional layer for meaning and interaction with the artwork. Video and graphics in AR have been created using artificial intelligence (AI). The fourth iteration of the Art on the Wall project is a part of the La Musée: Discourse on Happiness group exhibition. This proto-feminist text is a philosophical insight into the theme of happiness, from the perspective of a woman who suffers the injustices of society in 18th-century France. Poem 1 is the poet’s reflections on the gender of happiness, and the role of museums as intermediaries to finding self-identity and is inspired by Émilie du Châtelet’s book. Poem 2 is a conceptual reference to the articles from The Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan to empower equal rights and obligations on culture, heritage and education. Art on the Wall is organised in partnership with the Administration of the State Historical-Architectural Reserve "Icherisheher''. Twofold project is a part of Novembre Numérique, a festival of digital cultures, and is supported by the French Embassy Baku and L’Institut Français d’Azerbaïdjan (IFA).
To the Unknown
multimedia installation Leyli Salayeva and Xenia Fink Commissioned for Germanaijan exhibition this multimedia work serves as a preamble to explain how and why German settlements appeared in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani writer Leyli Salayeva studied numerous literature sources and archives to bring to life a German settlers' old journey presented through the viewpoint of a composite fictional protagonist Helena, a young Swabian girl. German artist Xenia Fink eloquently reinvigorates this narration with her black and white illustrations.
Gismat
video Chinara Majidova and Leyli Salayeva https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lHrKz8dGNI This artistic video features two magnificent buildings – De Boure Mansion and Asadullayev’s mansion - built by German architects Nikolaus von der Nonne and Johann Wilhelm Edel, during the first Baku oil boom. Both buildings had the same destiny (gismet): their owners did not enjoy their sole possession for long as both properties were expropriated during the Soviet times.
Men only (Women be not ashamed) June 2017
in collaboration with Chinara Madjidova Video / participatory performance 1:12 min https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvYOsjhRCjo Chinara Majidova’s (photographer) and Leyli Salayeva’s (writer) collaborative project Men only (women be not ashamed) presents twelve women reciting a poem that consists of insulting expressions that women encounter by men in their real lives. The poem is titled Vulgar Poetry. This vulgar poem is the reflection of a contradictory mixture of the harsh, animalistic attitude of men-harassers with the poetic images created in their harassing words. Modern women who live in the 21st century and in democratic countries are still being harassed by strangers. The problem of harassment remains unsolved because women are blamed for provoking men to do so. There is still no firm attitude in society that prevents men from invading the personal space of a woman. Sometimes words may have a greater impact than physical contact. The project aims at raising attention to what women are experiencing every day, which makes them vulnerable and insecure; at the same time, it’s an attempt to change women's attitudes towards harassment, in terms of self-blame and mortification.
Vertigo
Sound installation Shirvanshahs Palace 15.12.2017 – 31.05.2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6RWcW3dJtk In their collaborative project, artist Farhad Farzaliyev, poet Leyli Salayeva, music producer Jahangir Selimkhanov, and curator Asli Samadova study the transformation of a part of the Seven Beauties poem (1197) written by great Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi (1141-1209) and imagine its further development in modern times. The artwork comprises five simulated FM radio stations that transmit a contemporary interpretation of this story encapsulated in a multi-verse of music, environmental sounds, and poetry recitals.
Think that everything that exists, does not exist
Group Exhibition, Yay gallery 29.03 – 03. 06. 2018 The performance “Icine” (Within myself) developed as a cooperation work by Leyli Gafarova and Leyli Salayeva challenges the concept of female modesty through traditional dance. Selected rubais’ of Azeri female poet Mahsati Ganjavi are performed by a group of women in a form of a ritual. Also, Fakhriyya Mammadova’s wallpaper works form the background of the exhibition and resulted from cooperation with the artists and the poet Leyli Salayeva. They are based on poems, writings by Leyli Salayeva, the artists themselves as well as excerpts from the original inspiration source of the works. “Why Her?” is a series of short videos on famous female poets. Leyli Salayeva gives a brief and unique view on female poetry which reveals the value of reading poetry by female authors.