On June 12–13, 2025, an international academic conference titled “Repositioning the Postwar Avant-Garde in the East” was held in Dresden, Germany.

The event was organized by Professor Sascha Bru (KU Leuven, Belgium), Professor Isabel Wünsche (Constructor University, Bremen, Germany), and Dr. Przemysław Strożek (Avant-Garde Archive – Egidio Marzona, Dresden State Art Collections). The conference brought together scholars and researchers from various countries who specialize in this field.

The discussions focused on the revival of avant-garde art in the post–World War II era across Eastern Europe, Central Asian countries, and Japan, as well as its role in the context of contemporary art.

Azerbaijan was represented at the conference by Dr. Shirin Malikova, Director of the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art and PhD in Art History, with a presentation titled “Nonconformist Art Practices in Azerbaijan: The Absheron School.”

In her speech, Shirin Malikova provided detailed insights into the development of avant-garde tendencies in Azerbaijani art during the second half of the 20th century, highlighting the activity of nonconformist artists of that period, their aesthetic positions beyond official Soviet ideology, and their individual creative explorations.

She particularly emphasized the innovative work of nonconformist artists who brought international recognition to Azerbaijani art—Javad Mirjavadov, Tofiq Javadov, Ashraf Murad, Rasim Babayev, and Gorkhmaz Afandiyev. The presentation explored their unique artistic styles, preference for experimentation, and contributions to form and content in art.

At the end of her talk, Shirin Malikova addressed numerous questions from the conference participants regarding the topic.