Epress.am News from Armenia
A retrospective of the artist David Kareyan will launch on Sept. 2 at the Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA, or NPAK in Armenian). Exhibit curator Sonia Balassanian on Tuesday conveyed news of the post-humous exhibit titled “Celebration of Life.”
According to Balassanian, the exhibit will showcase the work Kareyan created over a 17-year period.
“Four different types of work will be exhibited: the first part is work from his youth, when he was an activist who wanted to change something in the art arena. The second period of Kareyan’s art is his video art, performances, installations, which have a great influence on the young artists of today,” she said.
In the large exhibit hall is Kareyan’s last and largest work — video art on human rights, land and war —, which was on display at the 2003 Venice Biennial and which was covered by The New York Times.
Artist Arman Grigoryan, presenting Kareyan’s work, stressed the parallels between art and literature in his work.
“In the 70s, Armenian literature was a period of creating pure work and David too considers that period to be one of pure creative work. He has written texts about pure work and he made speeches, explaining what he understands by saying ‘pure work’,” said Grigoryan.
Art critic Lilit Sargsyan, in turn, emphasized the exhibit’s title, “Celebration of Life,” noting that though there wasn’t an internal agreement to not speak of David Kareyan’s being no longer, everyone, independent from each other, speak of Kareyan’s being.
“Kareyan, during the short period of his life, was able to pass along the 20-year history of Armenia’s independence through his life and his work,” she said.
David Kareyan was fatally injured on Jan. 3, 2011, when a car struck him as he was crossing the street. Details regarding the exhibit “Celebration of Life” can also be found on the event’s Facebook page.
