Arts Council Azerbaijan, a member of the ECA, continues the international tour of its Second Life of Carpets exhibition. Following its launch at the United Nations Headquarters in New York last year, the collection has travelled to venues including Paris, Pakistan and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum. The project intercepts traditional textiles to prevent them from entering waste streams.
Developed by concept author Sona Guliyeva and project head Dadash Mamedov, the initiative sources Azerbaijani carpets that are too worn for standard restoration. Participating artists apply paint directly into the damaged woven structures. The original knots, frayed edges and historical motifs remain exposed, serving as the physical base for the new painted additions.
The initiative diverts these textiles from landfills, thus contributing to waste reduction and heritage preservation. As the exhibition travels, it documents regional weaving methods and gives painters a textured, historical surface to work on.