To mark the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the First Armenian Republic, Yerevan will host the “International Contemporary Art Exhibition: Armenia 2018. Soundlines of Contemporary Art”, which from September 28 to October 25 will engage the capital city with more than fifty international artists exhibiting in seven different locations around the city.

It will be the first exhibition to encompass all the different aspects of contemporary art – paintings, sculpture, photography, video art and installations and performance – create a dialog among a vast number of international artists coming from all over the world. The artists invited to create artworks in situ as well as participate in several workshops with students from different art institutes. The objective of the initiative is to involve as much territory as possible and to make it part of the artistic debate and highlight its vocation for cultural exchange. For this reason, it extends to the city with a widespread diffusion of the most important cultural centers such as the Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art, Aram Khachaturian House- Museum, Cafesjian Center for the Arts, Hayart Cultural Center, the Artists Union of Armenia, A. Spendiaryan Opera and Ballet National Academic Theater and the Armenian General Benevolent Union.

“The initiative goes on a par with the idea of La Francophonie which seeks to unite us all. The exhibition offers an opportunity for cultural exchange,” said Vasken Yacoubian, the president of AGBU Armenia, which supports the event.

Fabio Lenzi, one of the people behind the initiative, said such an event is happening in Armenia and the region for the first time.

“We are confident that culture is the key to abolishing borders and facilitating more connections,” he said.

“Many of the artists have decided to come to Armenia to learn more about the local culture. This exchange is a starting point for exporting the country’s art and experience to international arenas.”

According to him, bringing so many talented artists to Armenia was of major importance.

Also, he said, one of the most important cultural centers created back in the Soviet era – HayArt – has been renovated as part of the event.

Curators Mazdak Faiznia and Marina Hakobyan, in turn, thanked the organizers, all the artists involved in the project, the supporters of the initiative and all those who have helped in the process.

“When we first contacted the artists and galleries, most of them had a lot of questions. And while many were quite responsive, this was still a big adventure and a dream for all of us,” said Faiznia.

“The curator said he has learned so much in Armenia, including “the value of silence.” According to him, Armenian artists play a key role in the global industry nowadays.

Hakobyan, the other curator, said this is not the first time Armenia is hosting such an exhibition, but this one is unique in terms of its enormity.

“We hope the exhibition will help Armenia reach international podiums easily and more often,” Hakobyan said.

The exhibition combines contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installation of iconic works on loan from the world’s top galleries and collections, as well as commissioned works realized by the artists in situ.

Furthermore, an educational section will include several workshops in some of the leading art institutions of Armenia such as Tumo Center for Creative Technologies, Terlemezyan Yerevan State College of Fine and the Armenian Academy of Fine Arts, held by, among others, Roberto Pugliese, Roland Emile Kuit, Abdoulaye Diarrassouba, and Victor Ehikhamenor.

Organized by “Shaula International” LLC, the event has the patronage of the Canadian Government, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities in Italy, the cultural promotion project of the Italian Foreign Ministry “Vivere all’Italiana”, the Embassy of Italy in Armenia and it is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, the Armenian Tourism Agency, the EU Delegation in Armenia and by the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU).