For You, Humanity! 1961

Tahir Salahov offers us a vision of progress and aspiration in this piece, featuring two heroic figures soaring through the cosmos, each carrying a radiant sphere. These luminous orbs immediately evoke the sun, a universal symbol of enlightenment, divinity, and life itself. Consider the ancient Greeks, who saw Apollo driving his sun chariot across the sky, or the Egyptians, with Ra sailing the solar barge. Here, Salahov reimagines this motif for a modern age. However, these figures are not gods, but idealized humans, embodying the potential of mankind to grasp and wield such power. They resemble a futuristic take on the classical Greek sculptures, figures like Hermes, messengers of the gods. The gesture of holding and presenting the radiant spheres has a profound emotional resonance; it speaks of potential and the hope of progress. This image reminds us that while symbols may evolve, the underlying human longings for meaning, enlightenment, and control over destiny remain constant. It speaks to the cyclical nature of history, where old forms are constantly reborn, infused with new meanings.