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| Hadi Musavi |
A photo exhibition titled “The Life of a City” featuring the works of photographer Hadi Musavi, sponsored by the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality, was held from April 25 to May 1. In an interview with Voice of America, the Southern [Azerbaijani] artist talks about this exhibition, other artistic activities, and his plans for the future. He also shares his thoughts on the integration of Southern immigrants living in Turkey into society.
“The immigrants here (refugees) often say that even though we are Turkish, and from South Azerbaijan, we cannot integrate into society, we cannot unite with the community, and we are still treated as second-class citizens. I experienced this as well. But honestly, when we prove ourselves, whether we are from the South or the North [Azerbaijan], being seen as outsiders actually becomes an advantage. People who come to the exhibition say, ‘We know that people from Tabriz are very talented, they have many artists and poets.’ I worked hard to get here and I will continue working, but being from the South and being a refugee has actually become an advantage for me.”
Musavi says he has been working professionally as a photographer for four years: “I have been living in Turkey since 2007. I used to work in painting. I worked as a painting teacher in Van at courses organized by the municipality.
After the 2011 Van earthquake, I moved to Eskişehir, and since then, I have been working in photography. For the last two years, I have been collaborating with the Metropolitan Municipality as well as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. I take photos related to Eskişehir. These photos are used by both the municipality and the ministry in presentations about the city.”
The news of the “Life of a City” exhibition has been spread by local TV and major newspapers in Turkey. The exhibition has been met with great appreciation from municipal mayors, artists, and art lovers who came to see the works of the Southern artist.
“I’ve been working on this for four years, but I’ve dedicated more time, joined courses, and put in effort. This is something that comes with hard work. My painting talent also played a role in my development. In a short time, I became a well-known photographer in Eskişehir. I have collaborations with institutions and government agencies. Additionally, I work as a photo editor for a magazine. I do wedding photography, and I collaborate with the municipality and governor’s office on various projects. There are photography courses at associations, where I teach. I’ve been invited to symposia at universities. I’m receiving the fruits of my labor,” says Musavi, mentioning that his work is going well.
Talking about his future plans, Musavi says he aims to work abroad and participate in international art projects.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Hadi Musəvi: Türkiyədə güneyli və qaçqın olmaq üstünlük də ola bilər