Armenian Art Project Overview
The Armenian Art Project emerged as a continuation of the Armenia Art Fair, established in 2017 to address the challenges of building an art market and increasing the visibility of the Armenian art scene and the publication of A Pathway Through Armenian Modern and Contemporary Art by Iain Robertson (supported by the Gulbenkian Foundation), the project has made significant strides in fostering interest, highlighting the importance of Armenian art, and establishing meaningful collaborations.
Project Vision and Goals
The project’s primary ambition is to introduce the richness of Armenian art history to a global audience and foster a deeper engagement with Armenia’s cultural identity. It aims to rediscover and reintegrate Armenian modern and contemporary art into the international cultural dialogue, asserting its contributions to the evolution of Modernism and beyond.
Key objectives include:
• Showcasing the breadth of Armenian artistic talent, both native and diasporic, from renowned figures such as Arshile Gorky, Ara Güler, Paul Giragosian, and Martiros Saryan to lesser-known artists.
• Demonstrating the formation, development, and impact of Armenian art as a movement.
• Empowering contemporary Armenian artists by enhancing their visibility and promoting their work within the global art market.
• Addressing the omission of Armenian art from the twentieth-century cultural canon and positioning it as a vital part of the global art ecosystem.
Activities and Initiatives
The Armenian Art Project encompasses a multifaceted approach to achieving its goals, including: Research and Publications, Exhibitions, Conferences and Talks, Digital Initiatives.
Importance and Impact
The long-term impact is to establish Armenian art as a respected and dynamic part of the global art eco system . It will produce a strong reassessment of the past, current, and future reputation of practitioners of Armenian art, evaluating the aesthetic and economic value of their work, building resources for future research and curatorial practices and establishing more interconnected cross- cultural dialogue
Meet the professionals driving this project forward, each bringing a wealth of expertise in their respective areas.
IAIN ROBERTSON
Professor in the Department of Art and Cultural Management at Hongik University, South Korea, and former Head of Art Business Studies at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Author of numerous books on the history of art and the art market.
STEPHEN MCCOUBREY
An independent curator and consultant with extensive experience in managing and curating art collections. Stephen worked for over 17 years with the UBS Art Collection, organizing museum exhibitions and publications across Europe and Asia, while providing strategic guidance on contemporary art initiatives
LUIS AFONSO
Senior Professor at ARTIS – Institute of Art History, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon. A specialist in art history and cultural heritage, Luís focuses on bridging historical research with contemporary art discourse, fostering collaboration between academia and the international art scene.
PAU GARCIA
Founder of Domestic Streamers, a cutting-edge creative studio in Barcelona focused on innovative storytelling, digital platforms, and user-cantered design. With a background in digital media and creative direction, Pau has led numerous successful projects that merge art, technology, and culture.
ZARA OUZOUNIAN-HALPIN
Cultural producer of international art projects aimed at fostering cultural dialog, co-founder of the Armenian Art Fair . Her previous projects include exhibitions and cultural initiatives in Moscow, Yerevan, and beyond, aimed at supporting artists and managing content and community engagement in start-ups
NAZARETH KAROYAN
Art critic and curator, Founder and Director of the Institute for Contemporary Art Yerevan. His critical writings focus on developing an institutional art system in Armenia. He has also curated numerous exhibitions in Armenia
Key contributors who support the project through their expertise in curating, research, and writing. Each brings valuable insight and contributing to the depth and richness of the project.
Meet the essential team members who play a key role in the successful execution and coordination of the project. Their expertise ensures the smooth flow of operations, from design to logistical management.
FINANCE MANAGER /xxxx
ADMINISTRATOR / xxxxx
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
The ARTIS research centre of the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon, providing institutional support, academic expertise and essays for the catalogue and exhibition, in particular professors Luís U. Afonso , Pedro Lapa
Institute For Contemporary Art Yerevan (ICA) providing institutional support, academic expertise in particular, curator and art critic Nazareth Karoyan
Institute of History of Georgian Art (IHGA) covering Armenian artists from Georgia and providing academic expertise and contributions on Armenian Modern Artists working in the Tiflis School, Georgia , in particular, M. Medzmariashvili -Chief Researcher
Domestic Streamers (Spain) – Specializing in digital solutions and expertise in digitization processes, led by its director and founder, Pau Garcia.