Solastalgia for the Caspian Sea: Agil Abdullayev in conversation with Ilaha Abbasli and Nazakat Azimli (Salt Traces)

In the context of the exhibition The Secret Life of Plants and Trees at Kunstpavillion Innsbruck, Agil Abdullayev invites you to explore the depths of their research-based practice project, 0 Feet Away, which intricately examines the nuances of gay cruising culture across Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan. Two of them bound by the Caspian Sea, these nations share a complex history interwoven with socio-cultural norms and culinary traditions that offer a compelling backdrop for exploration.

On May 29, Ilaha Abasli, and Nazakat Azimli, will discuss their work as members of Salt Traces. Salt Traces is a collective of artists and researchers, exploring interrelations between water bodies, food, and communities in the backdrop of climate change. Their starting point is the Caspian Sea and the communities living around the Absheron Peninsula and in southern Azerbaijan. With this project, Salt Traces aims to create a space for discussion and reflection on the perception of climate change and its impact on everyday life through an exploration of food, recipes, and daily eating habits linked with the plummeting water levels of the Caspian Sea. Food can open up new venues for discussions and reflections on climate change, bringing the voice of affected communities into the discourse. In addition to the speakers, the Salt Traces collective includes a designer and researcher Mujgan Abdulzade, and film director and producer Aysel Akhundova.

While the first part (HYBRID) of the event will be in a talk and Q&A format, the second part (on site only) will involve a participatory activation where the speakers will facilitate a storytelling moment around the memories of the audience about the water bodies.

The first part is a HYBRID EVENT. You can either participate in the event on site at Künstler:innenhaus Büchsenhausen or follow the event online, via Zoom and Facebook. You will receive the Zoom link after registering via Eventbrite.

Current information on events taking place at Künstler:innenhaus Büchsenhausen and Kunstpavillon in the context of the exhibition The Secret Life of Plants and Trees can be found on our website.

Ilaha Abasli (she/her) is a PhD researcher from Azerbaijan at the International Institute of Social Studies (Erasmus University Rotterdam). She holds a Master’s degree in International Development and Emerging Economies from King’s College London. She is also engaged in international development and sustainability consultancy work with UN FAO, GIZ, and local NGOs. Ilaha’s research interests include circular economy in the Global South, especially the social dimension of Circular Economy, and fostering sustainability through science-driven and participatory policies.

Nazakat Azimli (she/her) is a Baku-born and Amsterdam-based strategist focusing on climate change and just transition, with a practice in artistic research and independent curation. Nazakat loves working between disciplines and has a background in political economy, urban planning, and art in fragile contexts. Lately, she has graduated from a program at ZhDK, Zurich on Arts and International Cooperation, focusing on assessment methods and frameworks for social and place-based art. She has also been part of the School of Participation in Graz working on a participatory listening and recording piece about the political nature of sound, and in the past has organized gatherings and exhibitions around spatial practices from a feminist lens. Currently, she is focusing on the research of Salt Traces, and working on a book about interior design choices in the context of the housing crisis and the aftermath of moving countries.