by Anna K. Gargarian
It’s been officially one year since I first started working on “Dreamscapes” in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia. With only two weeks until opening day, I find myself reflecting on the whole process.
Moving to Armenia:
While vacationing in Armenia last August, I happened to have a chance meeting with Minister Poghosyan. She was visiting the Luys Foundation office, an organization that works to cultivate and promote innovation, development and entrepreneurship in Armenia through education. I was visiting old friends amongst the Luys team who introduced me to H.E. Poghosyan considering my background in Arts Management and Curation. When she told me that she was accepting project proposals for their national participation at the Beijing International Art Biennale, I went straight to work. After a whirlwind trip back to Boston to pick-up some valuables and start making connections with Boston collaborators, I officially moved to Armenia two weeks later.
Allen Sayegh, Dreamscapes artist, in his INVIVIA studio in Cambridge, MA, USA. Photo credits: Harvard School of Architecture.
Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to meet several amazingly talented artists in Yerevan (Armenia’s capital) and Gyumri (the second largest city in Armenia). I wanted to present a diverse group of Armenian artists including those from my international network – like Allen Sayegh from INVIVIA studio in Cambridge (MA, USA), and artist Mikayel Ohanjanyan with whom I worked at Otto luogo dell’arte gallery (Florence, IT) – but also support and promote local talent from the rich creative community that has now become my home.
Dreamscapes artist Mikayel Ohanjanyan’s work “Prospettiva introversa 12” designed for Otto luogo dell’arte’s June 2013 exhibition, “La Corte”. Photo credits: Oliviero Santini.
In parallel, I opened HAYP Pop Up Gallery last November, a nomadic gallery that exhibits contemporary art in unexpected and unused spaces. HAYP has allowed me to expand my network of artists and art lovers in Armenia, create partnerships with local organizations, and cultivate an avant-garde hub for contemporary art that has been an incredibly rewarding and gratifying experience. An intense year indeed, we are three exhibitions in and nineteen events later. Armenia has been good to me.
Opening night at HAYP Pop Up Gallery’s second exhibition, “ANKAP-ital” in April 2015. On the left, site-specific wall-painting by resident artist Noumeda Carbone from Florence, Italy.
DREAMSCAPES takes off!
The Dreamscapes concept came together last October, applications were sent to Beijing by December, and the spring was spent coordinating shipping and putting together a catalogue with Jarakite Creative partners.
The Jarakite team and founders, Aramazt Kalayjian and Peno Mishoyan. Photo credits: Yerevan Magazine.
Catalogues were printed in August, and the past two weeks were spent filming and editing our presentation video thanks to the hard work of Filmmaker Victoria Aleksanyan, with the assistance of Lindsey Aliksanyan (see the video on our homepage).
Behind the scenes at the film shoot. Left: our filmmakers and artistic director Victoria Aleksanyan with assistant Lindsey Aliksanyan. Right: Dreamscapes artist David Galstyan resting before the shoot within the beautiful setting of the Mirzoyan Library, our generous hosts.
In a couple of weeks, the exhibition crew and I will head to Beijing to set up and finally present “Dreamscapes” on September 24, the opening day of the 6th Beijing International Art Biennale, “Memories and Dreams”. Keep checking our “Dreamscapes” blog for news and updates on the progress of the exhibition.
Armenian Special Exhibit 