We came across many people engaged in creating new structures for dialogue within the Armenian art scene. We had the pleasure to meet a few strong, female curators like Susanna Gyulamiryan, Anna Kamay and briefly Eva Khachatryan – independent curator.
Susanna Gyulamiryan is an art curator and critic, co-founder and president of “Art and Cultural Studies Laboratory” (ACSL) NGO. A member of AICA – Armenia. She has held courses in Cultural and Gender Studies at the Fine Arts Department of the Armenian Open University (2004-2014), as well as has implemented a course of Gender Studies for MA students at the Yerevan State University, Department of Culturology. Her critical articles are about the problems contemporary art faces in the context of market relations. Her recent interests lie in feminist and gender problems in the art practices of Armenian women artists.
Anna Kamay was translating our presentation and Q&A at the ArtLab Yerevan. She is an art journalist for the Caucasus ArtMag, managing director of ARTsakh Fest. Closely involved with ICA as a curator.
From these meetings we concluded that there is a need for a gender /discourse and female inclusion in the art world there. This could become one of the leading themes in future collaborative practice. There was strong emphasis on how the old structures are dominated by man, slightly conservative in thier old fashion ways of running things (not just here then).
During our short stay, we spent some time visiting proper tourist attractions. Some places took my breath away and I would love to visit them again. We took a few guided road trips, a good way to visit as many places as possible in within a restricted time. Starting with Tatev Monastery – 9th century Apostolic monastery located on a large basalt plateau near the Tatev village in Syunik Province in south-eastern Armenia. I’m including some photos to show the spectacular views and the character of the place. We also visited the Temple of Garni – an iconic Pagan temple. It is the best known symbol of pre – Christian Armenia, built probably by king Tiridates I in the first century AD as a temple to the sun god Mihr. There are ruins of a Christian church built next to it in the 7th century.
The most fascinating place for me was Geghard Monastery – the Monastery of the Cave or the Monastery of the Spear (originates from the spear which had wounded Jesus at the Crucifixion, allegedly brought to Armenia by Apostle Jude, called here Thaddeus, and stored amongst many other relics).The complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave, the main chapel was built in 1215. The site is included in World Heritage Site listing. During our visit there we come across a choir practice (which I included in my video work) A group of people in long robes, moving gently, while the ancient walls echoing their beautiful voices, so anyone witnessing it need to stop.
Outside the complex there is a magical place beside the Azat River with many wishing trees (also included in my video). In Armenia, this tradition of tying pieces of fabric to the tree to make wishes come true is very old. The trees are absolutely wrapped in sometimes very random scraps of material. It creates slightly haunting image.
We drove from Yerevan to Tbilisi, using this time to see more places and allowing the landscape to sink in. From our guide we learnt more about the history of the country but also some fascinating stories – like the one about “the nail of Satan” – obsidian of volcanic origin also known as volcanic glass. On the slopes of Satan’s hill, Satan-Dar, were found such implements as hand knife-blades, drawing-knives, sharp-pointed tools, and discs. This archaeological material is beyond any precise explanation and can be submitted to various possible interpretations.
Close to the Georgian border, we came across a beautiful valley with Berqaber water reservoir, which is partly in Azerbaijan. We stopped there to look around, take few pictures and say goodbye to the Armenian soil. Standing on the hill, looking down we spotted a cluster of sticks and tyres, realizing that we are looking at an empty sniper post. We don’t hear much of this conflict on BBC News, but the issues around Nagorno – Karabakh aren’t resolved yet. There is no possibility of crossing the border in between these two countries, and Armenian stamps in our passports where highly frowned upon by Azerbaijani border control.
We arrived in Georgia.
