Terrorist Brejvik – An Inspiration for Painter Maksim Giqinyan 

CivilNet reports that Norwegian terrorist Anders Brejvik has featured as an inspiration in an exhibition titled “Terlemezian Memoirs” exhibiting the works of 7 alumni of Terlemezian Fine Arts School who graduated 40 years ago. Maksmik Giqinyan’s painting with the Armenian flag in the background has arisen a wave of discussion on social media. Giqinyan himself does not believe that he has committed a wrongdoing by painting Brejvik. 

Here are fragments from CivilNet‘s reportage. 

– Because he said, “Glory to Armenia” that we have survived, you what kind of a place we live in, we were being swallowed already. Do you watch Azerbaijani TV? They also report in Armenian, they say all sorts of things about our nation. I have not committed a crime, I have nothing to do with terrorist groupings. In his difficult condition, he did not forget the Armenian nation. He is charged for a crime, but he says that he is innocent.

On July 22, 2011, Anders Brejvik orchestrated a bombing in the government district of Oslo, then engaged himself in a mass shooting at the youth camp of Norway’s Labor Party at Utoya Island. As a result of the terrorist act, 77 people died. Before the act, Brejvik published his lengthy manifesto titled “283 Independence European Declaration” where he presented his anti-Islamic ideas. The manifesto has sections on Armenians and the Armenian Genocide.

Giqinyan’s painting has become a topic of heated discussions on social media. Nonetheless, the 70-year-old painter does not believe that he did anything wrong.

The administration of the Painters’ Union believes that the commotion around the paining is a provocation against the newly elected executive board of the Union. Chairman Suren Safaryan believes that the painting is perplexing and unacceptable, however he asserts that the Painters’ Union is not the organizer of the exhibition, it has only provided the venue and has no right to ban a painter to exhibit any work.