Photo © Andrei Stsebureka, courtesy of the YermilovCentre 
Photo © Andrei Stsebureka, courtesy of the YermilovCentre 
Photo © Andrei Stsebureka, courtesy of the YermilovCentre 
Photo © Andrei Stsebureka, courtesy of the YermilovCentre 
Photo © Andrei Stsebureka, courtesy of the YermilovCentre
All Wars Made by Men
T-shirts, acrylic | The work was created especially for the exhibition "Sense of Safety" | A gift to the YermilovCenter collection / 2024
In his artistic practices, Babi Badalov often relies on the expressiveness of text as a political tool. Following the traditions of visual poetry, the applied text's method, composition, and form are no less important for the artist than the statement's meaning. The artist experiments with a combination of Latin, Cyrillic, and Oriental elm scripts. He unites existing words to create his own language that reinforces and actualizes new meanings. The mixture of languages reflects his own experience as a migrant, as he was forced to change countries before finding refuge in France due to threats of murder in Azerbaijan for his homosexuality. Using both his translinguistic and trans-local experiences, the artist mixes different geopolitical contexts to emphasize the interdependence and interconnectedness of our existence. In addition, his practice is profoundly queer. As a gay man and a political activist, the artist seeks to overcome the binary oppositions deeply rooted in our languages and Western European rationality. By deconstructing language, he infuses it with sensuality and frankness, avoiding psychologism while amplifying specific problems' political sound.
Badalov's sense of the value of human freedom, the need to express his solidarity with the Ukrainian community, and his desire to support Ukrainian culture prompted him to participate in the "Sense of Safety" project. For the exhibition in Kharkiv, the artist created 9 T-shirts with his own inscriptions reflecting his anti-war stance. These works will be replicated, and the proceeds from their sale will be used to support the Yermilov Center.