04/08/09
Today we had a real meeting marathon. We met Edward and Sonia Balassanian founders of NPAK (Armenian Centre for Contemporary Experimental Art) and spoke about their work and their role in the Armenian arts scene.
As the main contemporary art gallery in the country, they play a significant role in shaping the artistic landscape and see themselves as catalysts whose job it is to “find new talent, promote them and let them go”.
We then met curator Marianna Hovhannisyan who works at Armenian Open University‘s department of Fine Arts. Their bachelor course provides a contemporary alternative to the very traditional Armenian Arts Academy. The regular teaching programme is accompanied by 5-6 workshops a year for students and graduates run by local and international practising artists. The artistic disciplines taught encompass video art and performance as well as oil painting and ceramics. Marianna showed us both the school and examples of work produced during workshops. The Open University also runs an art school for children and young people between the ages of 4 and 18.
We then met with Nazareth Karoyan, the president of AICA Armenia (International Association of Art Critics) who describes himself as a “cultural engineer”. He gave us a comprehensive overview of the history of contemporary art in Armenia starting from the 60s up until today.
