The Soviet reforms had an enormous impact on eastern Europe, Armenian art, unlike art from post-socialist eastern Europe, was not neo – or post-Avant-garde but an autonomous, future-orientated, liberating practice
[it] saw itself as the vanguard of progressive time, wherein art moves time ahead, into the future, even if this future was one of market economy and liberal democracy
Institute of Contemporary Art Yerevan
A.Hutyunyan argues that 3rd Floor shares with national Modernism the qualities of modernity and internationalism in form and ethos, but is grounded in tradition. Nazareth Karoyan (art critic and curator ) traces its lineage back to medieval Armenian art, the paintings of Arshile Gorky and the Modernists of the 1960s and 70s. The 3rd Floor became the national Avant-garde in a similar way to the Italian Transavanguardia of the 1980s, which, for Karoyan, means, in the Armenian context, ethnic identification and cultural progressiveness
Project also aims to contribute to empowering Armenian contemporary artists, contribute to their promotion and visibility, entering the international art market. In addition to showing Armenian artists who have an international reputation, the intention of this exhibition is to also identify and elevate the status of lesser known Armenian Modern and Contemporary artist
CT Group, Art Demonstration, public action, Yerevan, Armenia, 1995.
Courtesy of Vahram Aghasyan’s archive
1972
Soviet Armenia constructed its first Modern Art Museum (Modern Art Museum of Armenia) It became the centrifugal force of the Armenian art world. The first show exhibited the works of Armenian artists from the 1960s, but the institution expanded to include artists from later generations.
1990
In the absence of significant state funding for the visual arts entrepreneurs like the American Armenians Sonia and Edward Balassanian have filled the gaps. They founded the Center for Contemporary Experimental Art in the 1990s (CCEA)
Post-Independence Art Galleries:
- Goyak Gallery, inaugurated in October 1991.
- KRUNK Art Gallery and STYLE Gallery in Gyumri predate independence by a few months.
- TAAK established in Artik in the spring of 1992.
- Ex Voto, established in the late 1990s, had a limited lifespan.
Non-Profit Initiatives in the 1990s:
Artists in the second half of the 1990s established non-profit institutions like the HayArt Cultural Center.
VITRO, a quarterly magazine, was established, providing a platform for contemporary critics and theorists.
Different Paths:
The HayArt Cultural Center and VITRO had distinct exhibition and editorial policies compared to the Armenian Center for Contemporary Art (NPAK).
The art department of the Open University was founded based on the pottery studio of Samvel and Manvel Baghdasaryan in the Aesthetic Center.
1998
Gyumri Biennale:
Founded by three local artists in 1998, the Gyumri Biennale became one of the most visible biennials globally despite its small budget.
Eight consecutive editions were organized from 1998 to 2012, attracting hundreds of international artists.
1995- 2001
Venice Biennale Artists between 1995- 2001
1995: 46th Venice Biennale Artists: Karen Andressian, Samvel Baghdasaryan Commissioner and Curator: Sonia Balassanian
1997 : Venice Biennale :, Atom Egoyan, Arman Grigoryan, Azat Sarkissian, Stepan Veranian – Curator, Commissioner Sonia Balassanian
2001 . Sona Abgarian, Narine Aramian, Mher Azatian, Nora Badalian, Diana Hakobian, Ara Hovsepian, Hamlet Hovsepian, David Kareyan, Tigran Khachatrian, Hovhannes Margarian, Karine Matsakian, Tatev Mnatsakanian, Samuel Saghatelian, Harutyun Simonian, Arpine Tokmajian Edward Balassanian Commissioner and Curator
2009
The Cafesjian Center for the Arts, which opened in 2009 holds exhibitions of the founder’s collection of contemporary art as well as organising workshops and film screenings