Why I speak English?

The art of Babi Badalov, an artist from Azerbaijan living in France, is rooted in the experiences of an immigrant. His works are a reflection of his personal dilemmas and way of life, which was very much conditioned by his politically engaged work, critical of the subsequent governments of his country, as well as his open homosexuality, which is a complete taboo in the Moslem community. And so, he escaped from his hometown by the border with Iran, through Russia, Great Britain, and then France, where he was granted political asylum, which he had been previously refused in the UK.

One of the currents in Badalov’s explorations is visual poetry, originating from his linguistic studies and Wittgensteinian reflection on language as an important determinant in understanding reality. The works created as part of his Transbanners project constitute a peculiar diary – a set of recorded thoughts about the unstable condition of a nomad. The problem of finding oneself in a new environment is already signaled by the artist on the level of language. The question from the original title of the work from Kolekcja II – Why I speak English? – is intentionally grammatically incorrect, thus reflecting the feeling of loss shared by immigrants who use a foreign language in a way which is comprehensible on the level of communication, but which is often far from correct.

The fabric composition refers to the principle of horror vacui. The drapery is covered with dozens of inscriptions which are composed of regular words, but also of letter clusters void of sense, often made up of characters from the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets. The free interpretation of signs turns the letters and words into ornaments. The entangled words reflect the chaos in which the artist, speaking in Talysh, Azerbaijani, Russian, English, and French, has to live. Badalov’s journey of many years has taken him across different countries and mentalities, but has also exposed him to the rejection experienced by many immigrants. The question from the title can be a reference to both the biography of the artist, as well as the universal problem of the identity of immigrants, which is complicated not only on the level of language.

Izabela Kopania

photo Jan Szewczyk