relation
EVOLUTION
ROOTS
POSITION
Independent. Agile. Global.
Independent
Agile
Global
Agile
Global
Free from institutional bureaucracy, it enables ideas to move fluidly from dialogue to realization.
Engaging with art, science and planetary futures, Buta Art works across borders while maintaining a focused and flexible structure.
Engaging with art, science and planetary futures, Buta Art works across borders while maintaining a focused and flexible structure.
Buta Art is an
independent cultural initiative operating internationally
independent cultural initiative operating internationally
From Motif to Meaning
Buta is an ornamental motif rooted in the artistic heritage of Azerbaijan — a country on the shores of the Caspian Sea, historically shaped at the meeting point of Europe and Asia. A motif embedded in centuries of visual tradition
The form suggests a bud on the
verge of opening, a flame in motion — a symbol of emergence, continuity and transformation
The form suggests a bud on the
verge of opening, a flame in motion — a symbol of emergence, continuity and transformation
What once signified the cultural origins of the project has gradually evolved into something more expansive
For us, “Buta” is no longer a marker of geography, but a condition of becoming
It embodies growth, transition and the ongoing shift from a cultural centre to an international artistic practice
For us, “Buta” is no longer a marker of geography, but a condition of becoming
It embodies growth, transition and the ongoing shift from a cultural centre to an international artistic practice
The motif appears across cultures under different names.
In Azerbaijani visual language, it is known as Buta.
Naming is never neutral — it turns pattern into meaning.
In Azerbaijani visual language, it is known as Buta.
Naming is never neutral — it turns pattern into meaning.
NOW
2015
2004
Buta Art
London — Global
London — Global
Buta Arts Centre
50+ international cultural events and large-scale productions
50+ international cultural events and large-scale productions
A strategic evolution from cultural representation to transdisciplinary cultural practice.
Buta Art now operates at the intersection of art, science and planetary discourse, initiating research-driven projects that respond to global challenges and future-oriented cultural thinking.
London serves as its operational base, with an expanding international network of collaborators.
Buta Art now operates at the intersection of art, science and planetary discourse, initiating research-driven projects that respond to global challenges and future-oriented cultural thinking.
London serves as its operational base, with an expanding international network of collaborators.
Founded in Baku by Azerbaijani entrepreneur and philanthropist Nasib Piriyev, and operationally developed in Moscow before expanding internationally through London, Buta Arts Centre emerged as a platform for presenting Azerbaijani art on an international stage.
The centre developed major festivals, concerts and exhibitions in leading London venues, engaging international audiences and fostering long-term cross-border cultural dialogue.
The centre developed major festivals, concerts and exhibitions in leading London venues, engaging international audiences and fostering long-term cross-border cultural dialogue.
In collaboration with
Pushkin House
YARAT Contemporary Art Space
ZEITGEIST19
One Ocean Foundation
La Biennale di Venezia
YARAT Contemporary Art Space
ZEITGEIST19
One Ocean Foundation
La Biennale di Venezia
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
British Embassy
The European Economic Chamber of Trade (EEIG)
Asia House
British Embassy
The European Economic Chamber of Trade (EEIG)
Asia House
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Southbank Centre
Cadogan Hall
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Sotheby’s
Southbank Centre
Cadogan Hall
St Martin-in-the-Fields
Sotheby’s
Institutional & Governmental
Cultural Institutions
OUR ELEMENTS
139 days
12 iconic venues
18 major programmes
12 iconic venues
18 major programmes
Buta Festival of Azerbaijani Arts
London — 4 November 2014 — 22 March 2015
London — 4 November 2014 — 22 March 2015
view video (7 min)
visit website
highlights
Time to Say Salam
Royal Albert Hall · Southwark Cathedral · Central Hall Westminster · Royal College of Music · Mall Galleries · Sotheby’s · Ronnie Scott’s · Saatchi Gallery · Frontline Club · Leicester Square Theatre
Expanding into major institutions, public spaces and contemporary platforms, the festival presented Azerbaijani culture not as a regional narrative — but as a living, contemporary artistic force rooted in deep tradition.
OUR ELEMENTS
100 days
20 events
13 iconic venues
20 events
13 iconic venues
Buta Festival of Azerbaijani Arts
London — 25 November 2009 — 7 March 2010
London — 25 November 2009 — 7 March 2010
view video (7 min)
visit website
highlights
Land of Fire
Royal Festival Hall · Queen Elizabeth Hall · Cadogan Hall · St Martin-in-the-Fields · Sotheby’s Pushkin House · Frontline Club · HOST Gallery · 606 Club · King’s College London
The inaugural edition introduced Azerbaijan to London through a bold and provocative cultural campaign.
From classical music and mugham to contemporary art and cinema, the festival transformed curiosity into discovery
From classical music and mugham to contemporary art and cinema, the festival transformed curiosity into discovery
OUR ELEMENTS
Planned for 2020 as the continuation
of the elemental cycle.
Deferred by a changing world.
The chapter remains open.
of the elemental cycle.
Deferred by a changing world.
The chapter remains open.
FESTIVAL
INTERDISCIPLINARY
DANCE
THEATRE
DISCOURSE
PUBLISHING
POETRY
LITERATURE
CINEMA
PHOTOGRAPHY
INSTALLATION
PAINTING
COLLABORATIONS
HERITAGE
CLASSICAL
JAZZ
MUGHAM
CONTEMPORARY
language
our
2005 — Moscow — Alim Qasimov Concert — Moscow International House of Music
2007 — Baku — CD Release “Aylı gecəm” — Nurlan Novrasli
2007 — Baku — Concert “50/30” — Alim Gasimov & Shahin Novrasli — Green Theatre
2008 — Moscow — Presentation of the novel “Ali & Nino”
2009 — Moscow / Saint Petersburg / Brussels / Paris / Strasbourg / London — Shahin Novrasli Euro Tour
2009 — Baku — Andrea Bocelli Concert — Buta Palace
2009 — Baku — Signing Ceremony AzMeCo & EBRD
2009 — London — Opening Concert — Buta Festival of Azerbaijani Arts — Queen Elizabeth Hall
2009 — London — Shahin Novrasli Concert — Queen Elizabeth Hall
2009 — London — Shahin Novrasli Concert — 606 Club
2009 — London — Kino! Kino! — “Urga, Territory of Love” Screening — Pushkin House
2009 — London — Kino! Kino! — “Burnt by the Sun” Screening — Pushkin House
2009 — London — Poetry Evening — Nigar Hasan-Zadeh — Pushkin House
2009 — London — Isfar Sarabski Concert — EBRD
2009 — London — Sabina Rakcheyeva Concert — EBRD
2009 — London — Oil & Jazz Audio-Visual Performance — EBRD
2009 — London — Pipe Dreams Book Launch — Frontline Club
2009 — London — Pipe Dreams Exhibition — HOST Gallery
2009 — London — Azerbaijani Cooking Programme — Slow Food Market — Southbank Centre Square
2010 — London — Black January Discussion — King’s College London
2010 — London — Jeffrey Werbock Lecture — SOAS
2010 — Oxford — Jeffrey Werbock Lecture — University of Oxford
2010 — London — Jeffrey Werbock Lecture — Pushkin House
2010 — London — An Evening of Mugham — St Martin-in-the-Fields
2010 — London — Charity Concert — Charlie Wright’s Club
2010 — London — Tair Salakhov Exhibition — Sotheby’s
2010 — London — ‘Ave Maria’ Concert — St Martin-in-the-Fields
2010 — London — Gara Garayev Concert — Cadogan Hall
2010 — London — Azerbaijani Decorative Arts Exhibition — St Martin-in-the-Fields Crypt
2010 — London — Alexander Mashin Photography Exhibition — St Martin-in-the-Fields
2010 — London — Silent Movies Programme — Birkbeck Cinema
2010 — London — Gala Concert — Royal Festival Hall
2010 — London — Closing of Buta Festival of Azerbaijani Arts — Southbank Centre
2010 — Baku–Ganja — Azerbaijan Cycling Week
2010 — London — Classical Azerbaijani Music Recording — Air Studios
2010 — Turin — Azerbaijani Cuisine Programme — Salone del Gusto
2010 — Budapest — BUTApest Cultural Project — Danube Palace
2011 — Baku — Andrey Konchalovsky Art Evening — International Mugham Centre
2011 — Baku — Andrey Konchalovsky Retrospective — Theatre Union
2011 — Baku — Nino Katamadze & Insight Concert — Green Theatre
2011 — Baku — National Belgium Day Concert — International Mugham Centre
2011 — Baku — Kenan Doğulu Concert — Green Theatre
2011 — Baku — Jazz Night at the Museum — R. Mustafayev Museum of Art
2011 — Baku — Tar Project Concert — International Mugham Centre
2011 — Moscow — Children’s Book Release “Melikmammed”
2012 — Baku — Erisioni Concert — Opera House
2012 — Baku — Intars Busulis Concert — International Mugham Centre
2012 — Baku — Novrasli 4 Concert — Heydar Aliyev Palace
2012 — London — Caspian Corridor Conference
2012 — London — Caspian Corridor Gala Concert — Cadogan Hall
2013 — Baku — Keiko Matsui Concert — Heydar Aliyev Palace
2013 — Moscow — Novruz Celebration — Tsvetnoy Central Market
2013 — Baku — Methanol Film Production — AzMeCo Plant
2014 — Cannes — Sonuncu (The Last One) — Official Selection — Short Film Festival Programme
2014 — International Release — Sonuncu (The Last One) — Festival Circuit Screenings
2014 — London — Grand Opening Gala — Royal Albert Hall
2014 — London — Mugham Night — Southwark Cathedral
2014 — London — Discovering the Tar with Arslan Novrasli — Central Hall Westminster
2014 — London — Niyazi — Barbican
2014 — London — Rena Effendi Exhibition — Hoxton Gallery
2014 — London — Film Delicatessen — Curzon Mayfair
2014 — London — Vagif — Central Hall Westminster
2014 — London — Buta Kitchen Food Festival — Duke of York Square & Southbank
2015 — London — Black January (25th Anniversary) — Frontline Club
2015 — London — Exploring Inward — Louise Blouin Foundation
2015 — London — Faces of Freedom — Asia House
2015 — London — Jazzzerbaijan — Ronnie Scott’s
2015 — London — Mirjavad / Carpets — Sotheby’s
2015 — London — Telescope — Charing Cross Theatre
2015 — London — Farhad Khalilov — Saatchi Gallery
2015 — London — Caspian Lights — Guildhall
2015 — London — The Pursuit of Now — Sadler’s Wells
2015 — London — Azeri Sensation — Royal Academy of Arts
2007 — Baku — CD Release “Aylı gecəm” — Nurlan Novrasli
2007 — Baku — Concert “50/30” — Alim Gasimov & Shahin Novrasli — Green Theatre
2008 — Moscow — Presentation of the novel “Ali & Nino”
2009 — Moscow / Saint Petersburg / Brussels / Paris / Strasbourg / London — Shahin Novrasli Euro Tour
2009 — Baku — Andrea Bocelli Concert — Buta Palace
2009 — Baku — Signing Ceremony AzMeCo & EBRD
2009 — London — Opening Concert — Buta Festival of Azerbaijani Arts — Queen Elizabeth Hall
2009 — London — Shahin Novrasli Concert — Queen Elizabeth Hall
2009 — London — Shahin Novrasli Concert — 606 Club
2009 — London — Kino! Kino! — “Urga, Territory of Love” Screening — Pushkin House
2009 — London — Kino! Kino! — “Burnt by the Sun” Screening — Pushkin House
2009 — London — Poetry Evening — Nigar Hasan-Zadeh — Pushkin House
2009 — London — Isfar Sarabski Concert — EBRD
2009 — London — Sabina Rakcheyeva Concert — EBRD
2009 — London — Oil & Jazz Audio-Visual Performance — EBRD
2009 — London — Pipe Dreams Book Launch — Frontline Club
2009 — London — Pipe Dreams Exhibition — HOST Gallery
2009 — London — Azerbaijani Cooking Programme — Slow Food Market — Southbank Centre Square
2010 — London — Black January Discussion — King’s College London
2010 — London — Jeffrey Werbock Lecture — SOAS
2010 — Oxford — Jeffrey Werbock Lecture — University of Oxford
2010 — London — Jeffrey Werbock Lecture — Pushkin House
2010 — London — An Evening of Mugham — St Martin-in-the-Fields
2010 — London — Charity Concert — Charlie Wright’s Club
2010 — London — Tair Salakhov Exhibition — Sotheby’s
2010 — London — ‘Ave Maria’ Concert — St Martin-in-the-Fields
2010 — London — Gara Garayev Concert — Cadogan Hall
2010 — London — Azerbaijani Decorative Arts Exhibition — St Martin-in-the-Fields Crypt
2010 — London — Alexander Mashin Photography Exhibition — St Martin-in-the-Fields
2010 — London — Silent Movies Programme — Birkbeck Cinema
2010 — London — Gala Concert — Royal Festival Hall
2010 — London — Closing of Buta Festival of Azerbaijani Arts — Southbank Centre
2010 — Baku–Ganja — Azerbaijan Cycling Week
2010 — London — Classical Azerbaijani Music Recording — Air Studios
2010 — Turin — Azerbaijani Cuisine Programme — Salone del Gusto
2010 — Budapest — BUTApest Cultural Project — Danube Palace
2011 — Baku — Andrey Konchalovsky Art Evening — International Mugham Centre
2011 — Baku — Andrey Konchalovsky Retrospective — Theatre Union
2011 — Baku — Nino Katamadze & Insight Concert — Green Theatre
2011 — Baku — National Belgium Day Concert — International Mugham Centre
2011 — Baku — Kenan Doğulu Concert — Green Theatre
2011 — Baku — Jazz Night at the Museum — R. Mustafayev Museum of Art
2011 — Baku — Tar Project Concert — International Mugham Centre
2011 — Moscow — Children’s Book Release “Melikmammed”
2012 — Baku — Erisioni Concert — Opera House
2012 — Baku — Intars Busulis Concert — International Mugham Centre
2012 — Baku — Novrasli 4 Concert — Heydar Aliyev Palace
2012 — London — Caspian Corridor Conference
2012 — London — Caspian Corridor Gala Concert — Cadogan Hall
2013 — Baku — Keiko Matsui Concert — Heydar Aliyev Palace
2013 — Moscow — Novruz Celebration — Tsvetnoy Central Market
2013 — Baku — Methanol Film Production — AzMeCo Plant
2014 — Cannes — Sonuncu (The Last One) — Official Selection — Short Film Festival Programme
2014 — International Release — Sonuncu (The Last One) — Festival Circuit Screenings
2014 — London — Grand Opening Gala — Royal Albert Hall
2014 — London — Mugham Night — Southwark Cathedral
2014 — London — Discovering the Tar with Arslan Novrasli — Central Hall Westminster
2014 — London — Niyazi — Barbican
2014 — London — Rena Effendi Exhibition — Hoxton Gallery
2014 — London — Film Delicatessen — Curzon Mayfair
2014 — London — Vagif — Central Hall Westminster
2014 — London — Buta Kitchen Food Festival — Duke of York Square & Southbank
2015 — London — Black January (25th Anniversary) — Frontline Club
2015 — London — Exploring Inward — Louise Blouin Foundation
2015 — London — Faces of Freedom — Asia House
2015 — London — Jazzzerbaijan — Ronnie Scott’s
2015 — London — Mirjavad / Carpets — Sotheby’s
2015 — London — Telescope — Charing Cross Theatre
2015 — London — Farhad Khalilov — Saatchi Gallery
2015 — London — Caspian Lights — Guildhall
2015 — London — The Pursuit of Now — Sadler’s Wells
2015 — London — Azeri Sensation — Royal Academy of Arts
