‘City in Use’ to Try to Make Yerevan Functional from Artistic Point of View

From Apr. 26–30, The Other Space Foundation (Warsaw), AICA Armenia, Suburb Cultural Center, and Utopiana cultural-creative NGO will be facilitating and presenting discussions, presentations, exhibition, and various “actions” in different venues in Yerevan (including the Mkhitar Sebastatsi educational complex and AJZ Space). These events, curated by Eva Khachatryan, are titled “City in Use.”

“Since Mar. 1, 2008, judging by the political and social situation in Armenia, we could notice the emergency of public consciousness which became in fact obvious. Parallel to political demonstrations there is a resistance on the social and cultural levels as well. These social-cultural changes brought the necessity to organize public events,” reads the information posted on the program’s Facebook page, which continues as follows:

On the other hand, many artists and curators aren’t able to find any exhibition spaces for their work, so there is a great need for alternative places, and current project could initiate events in urban spaces — in abandoned buildings, empty spaces, public places and so on, that can lead to alternative ways of presenting art.

The situation is not unlike that of the 80s, prior to and during perestroika. Artists would present exhibitions in abandoned buildings and parks because there were no spaces for avant-garde or contemporary art. In the 90s, an institutional boom fostered a parade of institutions emerging one after another. Today, some of them are closed down or lack funds. So, with the actualization of outdoor exhibitions and site-specific projects, we are calling for potential for new institutional structures that are based on collaboration and creativity.

The main goal of the project is investigating urban space in search of open, available spaces for artistic activities. With this project we will try to make the city functional from an artistic point of view. It is also an opportunity for artists and curators to find new places for exhibitions of contemporary art.

The project is organized in the frame of Transkaukazja (Transcaucasia) Festival which was launched in Warsaw in 2004. The project is funded with the support of the Council of Europe, through its 2007–2013 cultural program.

Photo: Marina Mkrtchyan