The Pavilion of Azerbaijan at the 54th International Art Exhibition la Biennale di Venezia. Interview with Aga Ousseinov
"My invention/project for the Venice Biennale is a seagoing submersible craft designed to metaphorically navigate the same sea of discord/unrest in the world. This is also apropos for an aqua-centric city such as Venice. The conceptual model for the vessel is based upon the tradition of the early Soviet “agit-trains”, which were designed by the constructivist artists as a kind of propaganda, or “agitation machines.” The vessel’s purpose will be to act in an interventionist-like manner, similar to a Trojan Horse that is designed to take people unaware due to its form, but which is actually designed to ambush the viewer through the use of propaganda. The appearance of the piece will be anti hi-tech, and will also “pretend” to deliver a strong message. The vessel installation will be similar to a room of curiosities, populated by 3D objects such as the vessel, (which is a very light structure more like a kite), a group of moving images, photographs, and scratched fresco reliefs.”