SHANE GUFFOGG: “THE OBSERVER IS THE OBSERVED”
INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM EXHIBITION
NEXT STOP BAKU
FEBRUARY 21 – APRIL 10, 2017
National Art Museum of Azerbaijan
The traveling exhibition “#GUFFOGG” consists of 73 oil paintings, small to large scale and a recent series in Murano glass. The work spans 27 years of Shane Gufffogg’s career; rarely has an artist been given such an opportunity. The exhibition began in August 2015 at The Academy of Fine Arts Museum, St Petersburg, Russia and will continue through selected museums in Russia, France, Azerbaijan and Switzerland. The exhibition will continue on the duration until the end of 2018. All pieces are described and represented in a hard copy catalog mentioning the previous museum in which the exhibition took place prior to the current one and including various essays and a forward by Paul Ruscha.
The National Art Museum of Azerbaijan, was founded in 1936 and is the largest museum in the country. There are over 3,000 artifacts housed in two buildings. The first building focuses on European and Russian Art, including the Russian Avant-Garde. The second building consists of Eastern art, in particular, Persian, Turkish, Chinese and Japanese art. The museum also holds a collection of Easel and Book Miniatures, from the 17th – 19th centuries.
The first works for the museum were obtained from Saint-Petersburg, Moscow and private collections. The museum expositions were later exhibited in Canada, Cuba, Syria, France, former Czechoslovakia, Algeria and Iraq.
About Baku
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is the largest city on the Capsian Sea and Caucaus region. Since 2000, the inner city of Baku, along with Shiranshahs Palace and Maiden Tower are noted as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Lonely Planet rated Baku as one of the top ten destinations for urban nightlife. Baku has a thriving arts presence with the Museum of Modern Art, Azerbaijan State Museum of History, Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theatre, Baku International Jazz Festival and Baku Expo Center.
In recent years Baku has become an important venue for international events. It hosted the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, the 2015 European Games, 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe and in 2020, Baku will host the UEFA Euro.
SHANE GUFFOGG 