QGallery

The Institution for Contemporary Art in Azerbaijan

The QGallery, which is an abbreviation for Qiz Qalasi Art Gallery and essentially means “Art Gallery at the Maiden Tower”, is located in the Old City of Baku. It is not only one of the oldest private galleries in Azerbaijan, but also one of the most important ones of the entire country. The gallery is especially known for its extensive collection of paintings and sculptures of the Soviet epoch as well as works of young contemporary artists.

On 19 March, 1999, the Azerbaijani artist and professor Salkhab Mammadov opened the gallery in the premises which he had used as a workshop for many years. These were difficult times for artists in Azerbaijan: “Few, except for the Ministry of Culture and Artists’ Union were dealing with popularization of Azerbaijani art at that time”, Mammadov said. “The artists worked in isolation, rarely exhibiting while some were in need of material aid. In short, our artists were left face-to-face with their problems”. Salkhab Mammadov wanted to solve this problem by providing a platform that allows artists, sculptors and photographers to exchange views and to create and exhibit art together. The gallery is currently headed by his son Emin Mammadov, and QGallery is today considered a real institution in the field of contemporary Azerbaijani art. Its main goal is to familiarize the viewers with the fine arts of the country. The gallery therefore exhibits the works of classic and nonconformist artists of the Soviet Union as well as art works by young emergent artists.

Find out more about contemporary art from Azerbaijan