GLENDALE – Consulate General of Armenia in Los Angeles held a reception on February 15, at which the newly established “Yerevan Biennial Art Foundation” made an announcement about the upcoming first biennial of contemporary Armenian art.

It will take place in Yerevan from September 24 to December 31. Ambassador Armen Baibourtian in his speech welcomed the idea of “Yerevan Biennial”. According to him, it is a unique project that combines art, culture, and education. According to the Consul General, the festival is going to be another marvelous opportunity to present Armenia and Armenian culture to the broader international community.Co-founder of the foundation Fabio Lenzi said that more than thirty works of contemporary art representing special value and authored by artists from Armenia and Diaspora will be displayed at the biennial.During the biennial, dozens of events will be organized depicting many fields of art,

including opera performances, music concerts, art exhibitions, and theater performances, presenting a broad spectrum of the Armenian art and culture. Caroline Tufenkian, board member of the foundation and director of the Tufenkian Art Gallery in Los Angeles noted that the “Yerevan Biennial” will attract to Armenia many tourists.The foundation plans to make the “Yerevan Biennial” a spectacular regional event that will enhance Armenia’s worldwide perception of the country of unique culture.The event was attended by numerous representatives of the Armenian community and American art lovers. During the evening, an Armenian dance, song, and music program was presented.

ՀՀ ԳԼԽԱՎՈՐ ՀՅՈՒՊԱՏՈՍՈՒԹՅԱՆ ԸՆԴՈՒՆԵԼՈՒԹՅԱՆԸ ՀԱՅՏԱՐԱՐՎԵՑ ՀԱՅԿԱԿԱՆ ԺԱՄԱՆԱԿԱԿԻՑ ԱՐՎԵՍՏԻ «ԵՐԵՎԱՆ ԲԻԵՆԱԼԵԻ» ԱՆՑԿԱՑՄԱՆ ՄԱՍԻՆ
ԳԼԵՆԴԵՅԼ – Լոս Անջելեսում ՀՀ գլխավոր հյուպատոսությունում կազմակերպված ընդունելության ընթացքում «Երևան Բիենալե արվեստի նորաստեղծ հիմնադրամը» հայտարարեց Հայաստանի ժամանակակից արվեստի առաջին «բիենալեն» անցկացնելու մասին։ Այն կկայանա Երևանում, սեպտեմբերի 24-դեկտեմբերի 31-ը։ Դեսպան Արմեն Բայբուրդյանն իր խոսքում ողջունեց «Երևան Բիենալեի» գաղափարը։ Նրա խոսքով, այն յուրօրինակ նախագիծ է, որն իր մեջ համատեղում է արվեստը, մշակույթն ու կրթությունը։ Փառատոնը, ՀՀ գլխավոր հյուպատոսի խոսքով, կդառնա մեկ այլ հրաշալի հնարավորություն Հայաստանն ու հայկական մշակույթը միջազգային հանրությանը լայնորեն ներկայացնելու համար։Հիմնադրամի համահիմանդիր Ֆաբիո Լենզին հայտնեց, որ Բիենալեի ընթացքում կներկայացվեն ժամանակակից արվեստի և պատմական արժեք ունեցող՝ ավելի քան երեսուն գործեր, որոնք հեղինակել են Հայաստանում և սփյուռքում բնակվող արվեստագետներ։ Բիենալեի ընթացքում կկազմակերպվեն արվեստի բազմաթիվ ճյուղեր ներկայացնող տասնյակ միջոցառումներ՝ օպերային նեկայացումից, մինչև երաժշտական համերգներ, ցուցահանդեսներ և բեմադրություններ՝ հայկական արվեստն ու մշակույթը ներկայացնելով լայն գունապնակով։Հիմնադրամի խորհրդի անդամ, Լոս Անջելեսում գտնվող Թուֆենկյան արվեստի ցուցասրահի տնօրեն Քերոլայն Թուֆենկյանը նշեց, որ նորաստեղծ հիմնադրամի այս նախաձեռությունը Հայաստան կբերի բազմաթիվ զբոսաշրջիկների։Հիմնադրամի պատասխանատուները նախատեսում են «Երևան Բիենալեն» դարձնել տարածաշրջանային մեծ իրադարձություն, որը մշակութային դիվանագիտության գործիքներով Հայաստանի դիրքը կամրապնդի արվեստի համաշխարհային ասպարեզում։Միջոցառմանը ներկա էին լոսանջելեսահայ համայնքի բազմաթիվ ներկայացուցիչներ, ամերիկացի արվեստասերներ։ Երեկոյի ընթացքում ներկայացվեցին հայկական երգարվեստի և պարային կատարումներ։

Author Anahit Voskanyan

While the spokesperson of the ruling My Step faction of the Yerevan Council of Elders, Asmik Khachunts justified the municipal authorities’ decision to spend $700,000 on upcoming New Year celebrations in Yerevan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also took to Facebook to defend the costly festivities.

But let’s not ignore Khachunts, since the Council of Elders is likely to have also played a role in the adoption of the Municipality’s independent decision. She believes such a hefty sum needs to be spent so that “people – children, adults – from across Armenia, who used to spent this fabulous holiday with Soviet Christmas trees and toys, were ignored for years and never saw such a holiday had the opportunity to feel part of one big family with the prime minister.”

It’s unclear how the party imagines people becoming one family with the prime minister, or how much a handwritten “mantra” or an unhygienic barbecue along Yerevan streets costs, now the time has come for a $700,000 campaign “to get rid of the Soviet-era Christmas trees”.

The PM claims distributing the money to the low-income families would not solve the problem. Of course, these questions were addressed to the previous authorities, and the same answer was given then. However, the same question and the same answer over the misuse of funds for each holiday and each festivity lead to the same conclusion: in Armenia, the lack of economy and lavish spending continue. And, I guess, no one suggested distributing money to the needy.

Not at all. By the way, in 2018 the poverty rate in Armenia was 23.5%, or 700,000 people, according to the figures released by the Statistical Committee of Armenia. And, of course, if you distribute money to the needy families from every holiday, crowded business trip or inappropriate spending, the problem wont’s be solved. Maybe. But if we don’t make lavish expenses, those funds could be reserved to help resolve the basic housing problems of those families earlier than planned through various political steps.

The premier says celebrating a luxurious New Year in Yerevan is a matter of moral and psychological issue. But how to call a family where, instead of taking care of the needy, money is collected from its working members to arrange only an escape from Soviet Christmas tree memories for 1-2 days to show what miracles are possible in the world and among the wealthy that they are missing every single day.

Or what a citizen making such extravagance can possibly feel when 30,000 people live in extreme poverty in the same country? Shame, if he is compassionate. Discomfort, when he sees that he is more or less well-off, while the need flourishes while next to him …. And certainly not joy when he thinks about celebrating luxurious holidays when …

What to do? Organize festivities and wait for tourist arrivals? Or what an outstanding holiday New Year is to make people leave their countries to spend it in Yerevan, to get back all the lavish expenses. Securing tourist flows to Armenia is carried out not at the expense of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time, but with a focused policy, representing the country, its history…

Or, maybe, this will also work: the wealthy and the needy, miraculously escaping from the Soviet Union, celebrate the arrival of tourists in Yerevan.

We addressed a letter to then Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan, urging him to direct the funds that were supposed to be spent on the New Year’s Day celebrations to border villages to build barriers for protection against Azerbaijani shelling. It would be the best present to the residents of Yerevan, who, living far from the border, would be able to at least do something for those living under the constant threat of fire; the best gift with which the residents of the country and the capital would exchange material joy for inner, true joy.

The city hall turned down our request.

Over time, Yerevan dwellers no longer make such requests. Moreover, they are transformed so much that they look forward to some fun to be organized for them – luxurious and worthy of their status as Yerevan residents – waiting for tourists to come and admire their lavish parties. A citizen is becoming bourgeois.

Is this a family? To live side by side, but not to see or feel each other… Are we luring a stranger with a ‘candy’? Lol and ok, what else can I say!

Hayk Marutyan (the incumbent Yerevan mayor) once put it: “Today, they spend $500,000 on the “celebrations”, while tomorrow we wake up in a dusty, treeless city with ugly buildings and potholes. You can’t fool Yerevan residents with balloons and a boring logo.”

But, perhaps, Taron Margaryan’s chair makes a person act like him. And to address a similar letter to Hayk Marutyan would make no sense. The “courage” is actually absent – to at least get out of the whirlpool of the former authorities. 

“Armenia Uncovered” documents one of the UK’s finest entertainers and internationally acclaimed Award-Winning Comedy Pianist Kev Orkian’s fun-filled journey to Armenia, a country with unbelievable hospitality, rich history, and unique culture. Kev travels through the ancient streets and towns of Armenia and Artsakh, exploring beautiful cities,

Director: Andy Simon
Host: Kev Orkian
Executive Producer: Raffi Tanielian

diverse religious architecture and breathtaking landscapes while tasting mouth-watering food. On his way, he checks out locals and celebrities to find out if Armenians are actually the most hospitable people on the planet and to learn why it’s mandatory to do everything in Armenia on a full stomach. Among those interviewed are the world-famous French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour, Armenia’s greatest footballer Arsenal’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and pop-sensation Sirusho.

The fourth annual Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity was awarded today to Mirza Dinnayi, Co-Founder and Director of Luftbrücke Iraq (Air Bridge Iraq)

Driven by his passion to save lives, the Yazidi activist has found a way to overcome numerous bureaucratic and logistic obstacles to help the most vulnerable members of the Yazidi community during numerous conflicts in Syria and Iraq. He was named the 2019 Aurora Laureate at the Ceremony in Yerevan that was held during the Aurora Forum. The Aurora Prize is granted by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors.

Tom Catena, Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Chair and 2017 Aurora Prize Laureate, praised the 2019 Aurora Prize Laureate Mirza Dinnayi by saying: “What makes Mirza Dinnayi an outstanding human being is the fact he couldn’t live in good conscience knowing that good people are left behind, that the innocent are suffering. Trying to help others while facing an unspeakable evil can be challenging and frustrating, but he never wavered. I am delighted to congratulate Mirza Dinnayi with being awarded with the Prize and welcome him to the Aurora family.”

As the 2019 Aurora Prize Laureate, Mirza Dinnayi will receive a $1,000,000 grant.

Working on behalf of the Yazidi community, Mirza Dinnayi has dedicated his whole life to saving the victims of the Iraq war, evacuating women and children from territories controlled by ISIS and providing those tortured and violated with rehabilitation and support. It was Dinnayi who brought to Germany the future Sakharov Prize Laureate Lamya Haji Bashar. Today, she is a renowned human rights activist and has one of Aurora’s scholarships named after her.

The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative also honored the contributions of the other two 2019 Aurora Humanitarians who received a $50,000 grant each: Zannah Bukar Mustapha, Director and Founder of Future Prowess Islamic Foundation in Nigeria, and Huda Al-Sarari, Yemeni lawyer and activist.

Founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative seeks to empower modern-day saviors to offer life and hope to those in urgent need of basic humanitarian aid anywhere in the world and thus continue the cycle of giving internationally.