Azerbaijani Colouring Book | 2015 | Installation | A3 Prints, Pastels | Various dimension
The transformation of national costumes is a rich source of information for ethnographers around the world. What is analysed are the changes in styles, design, and materials used. The 20th century saw a global shift in fashion, with European-style business suits becoming a universal sign of belonging to the global economic system (or the Davos club).
To the Caucasus, this European fashion classic arrived at the same time as it conquered the rest of the post-Soviet space, but its assimilation was conditioned by local history. The suit, invented to present shapeless European bodies in a favourable way, in the Caucasus became tight as a leotard and coloured in all the shades of black. Interestingly, this became the dress code for manual workers and criminal groups. Acting as a peacemaker, Farhad Farzaliyev removes the menacing image from its original context and turns it into a harmless kids’ colouring book, thus attempting to soften the edges of local culture.
To the Caucasus, this European fashion classic arrived at the same time as it conquered the rest of the post-Soviet space, but its assimilation was conditioned by local history. The suit, invented to present shapeless European bodies in a favourable way, in the Caucasus became tight as a leotard and coloured in all the shades of black. Interestingly, this became the dress code for manual workers and criminal groups. Acting as a peacemaker, Farhad Farzaliyev removes the menacing image from its original context and turns it into a harmless kids’ colouring book, thus attempting to soften the edges of local culture.
