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In 2012 Azerbaijan, a country under strict dictatorship, organised the Eurovision Songfestival. It turned out to be an unabashed display of new wealth in the country that also competed to get the football WorldCup and the Olympics. Human rights are not on its agenda and only a fortunate group of people profits from the countrys exuberant wealth. However few people in the western world seem concerned about this. There is too much at stake to do so. As Nuis calls it: "Its geopolitics on a Champions League level."

Between 2008 and 2013 photographer Ad Nuis travelled to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan no fewer than ten times. Each time for a period of about 25 days. With Oil & Paradise Nuis portrays the absurd contradictions between the lives of the nouveaux riches in Baku and the ordinary citizens of Azerbaijan.