Step: Between the Transforming and Forming

On the 16th of September “Arvestagir” was in the exhibition hall of the Artists Union of Armenia, where, with the collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia was organized an exhibition called “Step: between the transforming and forming”, dedicated to the 23th anniversary of Armenia’s independence. Mainly the works of young and middle generations of artists who are active participants and the main actors in the modern Armenian art were presented. Also to make visible the artistic development, were presented some works of elder generation of 1960-1980-ies (Arto Chakmakchyan’s, Mark Grigoryan’s and Hakob Hakobyan’s works, created in the years of independence).  Also the works of the organizers Ararat Sargsyan, Sargis Amalbashyana as well as the curators of the exhibition Arman Grigoryan and Arevik Arevshatyan were presented.

The exhibition is based on the idea of freedom, considering the last turbulent years of the struggle for freedom of the 20th century, which had an impact on various areas, including on art. With the idea of ​​freedom as a basis, the curators have tried to show the structural and ideological changes that have occurred in the years of independence. From communism to fundamentalism of religions as the perception of violence to the idea of ​​the nudity as freedom, from post-colonial art to self-esteem as a guarantee of independence and independence as a guarantee of the country’s development: with such a large scale the exhibition touches the idea of ​​independence and difficult path of the 23-year-old Republic of  Armenia proclaimed in 1991. Among the exhibitors were Karen Alekyan Samvel Baghdasaryan, Heriknaz Galstyan, Arthur Sarkissian, Ashvt Harutyunyan, Ruben Grigoryan, Karen Barseghyan, Waag Amalbashyan Armen Gevorgyants Karine Matsakyan, Shadow Vardanyan, Sahak Poghosyan, Azat Sargsyan, Ruben Arevshatyan Grigor Hayaatryan, Mher Azatyan Armine Hovhannisyan, Levon Fljyan, Tigran Khachatryan, Tigran Muradian, Sona Abgaryan, Arshak Sargsyan, Vahan Rumelyan, Hamlet Hovsepian, Astghik Melkonyan, Alexander Melkonian, Diana Hakobyan and other … The exhibition will be open until September 25th.

Photos by Hasmik Barkhudaryan