BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 7. On May 6, the MAMA
“Mother Nature” international art exhibition opened within the
monumental Salle des Pas Perdus, one of the most remarkable
architectural spaces of the Palais des Nations, the home of the
United Nations Office at Geneva, Trend reports.
Presented in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of the
Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, the
exhibition brings together artists from diverse backgrounds to
explore the relationship between humanity and nature, as well as
the urgency of renewed ecological awareness.
The opening ceremony was attended by Anar Alakbarov, Assistant
to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Executive Director
of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General
of the UN Office at Geneva, officials of the UN Geneva office and
other international organizations, representatives of the local
community and art enthusiasts.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Galib Israfilov, Permanent
Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN Geneva office and other
international organizations, said the MAMA “Mother Nature” project
is an international artistic initiative exploring the deep bonds
between art and humanity. This initiative brings together artists
from diverse cultural backgrounds, underscoring how critical
environmental challenges have become in our modern world.
The ambassador expressed gratitide to Leyla Aliyeva, the author
of the idea of the project, for organizing the exhibition at the UN
Geneva office. He also expressed confidence that the exhibition,
while instilling a love for art, will also inspire a more attentive
and caring approach to environment.
In her remarks, Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the UN
Office at Geneva, thanked the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Heydar
Aliyev Center, IDEA Public Union and the Permanent Mission of
Azerbaijan to the UN for their contribution to the successful
organization of the exhibition. She described the exhibition as
special and unique, as it highlights a profound relationship
between humanity and nature.
Noting that she first viewed this exhibition in Baku in 2024,
the Director-General hailed the presentation of the exhibition in
Geneva.
The project was first introduced at the Heydar Aliyev Center in
Baku in 2024, as part of the COP29 climate conference, and has
since evolved into a traveling international platform presented in
major cultural capitals including Manama, Rome, London, Tbilisi,
Berlin, and Tirana. Across these editions, more than fifty artists
from twenty-eight countries have contributed to a global artistic
dialogue on the future of the planet.
The presentation at the Palais des Nations carries particular
symbolic significance. As a space historically dedicated to
diplomacy, cooperation, and global governance, the venue reinforces
the exhibition’s central message: that ecological responsibility
cannot be addressed solely through political frameworks, but
requires cultural imagination and collective reflection.
Within the vast architectural expanse of the Salle des Pas
Perdus, visitors will encounter works that approach nature as a
living and evolving entity, a source of memory, knowledge, and
renewal. The exhibition encourages audiences to reconsider
humanity’s place within the planetary ecosystem and to engage with
the pressing environmental challenges of our time.
By bringing together international artistic voices at the heart
of the United Nations in Geneva, MAMA ‘Mother Nature’ creates a
unique platform where art, diplomacy, and ecological consciousness
converge.
