Artists, art managers and public figures in the "ARTFOCUS" pavilion discuss the most important events in the art world, the transformations of art, and issues concerning modern artists.
Author and Moderator: Anahit Margaryan
Director: Vardges Manukyan
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The Idea of the Mother Goddess from Paganism to Christianity
On September 21, the Museum of the History of Armenia opened the international exhibition entitled "Mother deity: From Anahit to Mariam", where the head and hand preserved from the bronze statue of the goddess Anahit kept in the British Museum were exhibited for the first time in Armenia. More than 60 exhibits from the collection of the History Museum of Armenia were also presented at the exhibition, which symbolize the idea of the Mother Goddess, from paganism to Christianity, from stone to metal, clay and thread. The director of the History Museum of Armenia Davit Poghosyan and art critic Anahit Margaryan talked about the exhibition and the changes taking place in the Museum of History in "Artfocus" in recent years.
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Archival documents and photographs
"Parisian Meetings" at Komitas Museum-Institute
The Komitas Museum-Institute presents the temporary exhibition "Parisian Meetings" dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Margarit Babayan, a pianist, singer, musicologist, public figure, a close friend of Komitas Vardapet, where about 150 archival documents and photos from the Museum of Literature and Art, 4 paintings: From the collection of the National Gallery of Armenia, documents and photographs from the Komitas Museum-Institute, as well as from the Lalua family archive. Curator, museologist, scientific secretary of the Museum of Literature and Art Marine Haroyan told Anahit Margaryan about the features of the exhibition and curatorial work in "Artfocus".
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International Flute Festival will be held in Yerevan
On October 26-30, the "First Yerevan International Flute Festival" will be held in "Arno Babajanyan" concert hall, during which concerts, master classes, lectures will be held. The details of the upcoming events at the festival were presented by Vardan Virabyan, the founder of the "Flute Bridges" international project, artistic director of the festival, and Narek Avagyan, soloist and flutist concertmaster of the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Armenia, at the "Artfocus" booth.
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How to form a listener of classical music?
What difficulties did Hrachuhi Basent overcome for international recognition?
At the 16th Yerevan International Music Festival, the works of Richard Strauss were performed in the Aram Khachatryan concert hall. Opera singer Hrachuhi Basents and pianist Helmut Deutsch performed. In a conversation with Anahit Margaryan in "Artfocus", Hrachuhi Basent presented how she was received in the West and what difficulties she overcame on the way to gaining international recognition. The singer referred to the experience of general education institutions in forming listeners of classical music in the West.
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NAS Art Institute is celebrating its 80th anniversaryIn which direction is the art institute developing today? Is there a generational shift among art critics? To what extent is the art institute redefining its function? On these issues, Anahit Margaryan talked with the director of the NAS Art Institute, Doctor of Arts, Professor Anna Asatryan in "Artfocus".
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With the youth opera program, singers enter the international arenaThe youth opera program has been operating in the Spendiaryan Opera and Ballet Theater for about eight years, thanks to which a number of talented, purposeful young singers who are reaching greater heights have sailed into the world musical ocean. What and how did the history of the youth program begin? How does the program operating in Armenia differ from the youth opera programs operating in other countries? Besides vocal, what do they learn in the program? Anahit Margaryan talked to the youth opera program of Spendiaryan Opera and Ballet Theater, with manager Levon Zavadyan and soloist of the program Arpi Sinanyan. |
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A ballet with music by Charles Aznavour and Michel Legrand was presented
On the initiative of the "Ballet 2021" foundation, the ballets "La Bohème" and "Cherburgian Umbrellas" based on the music of Charles Aznavour and Michel Legrand were presented in the sports concert complex. The author of the script and the stage choreographer was the folk artist Rudolph Kharatyan. Lilit Petrosyan, director of "Ballet 2021" Foundation, told "Artfocus" about the activities of the foundation and the experience of staging and selling independent performances in Armenia.
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New Textbooks
New 6th, 8th and 10th grade art textbooks are being printed
Until 2021, arts subjects were taught up to seventh grade. According to the decision of the government, the textbooks and approaches of art subjects of public schools have been changed. During the 2024-25 academic year, the Ministry of Education and Culture will introduce new textbooks for the 6th, 8th and 10th grades in public schools. The books will be published by "Zangak" publishing house. Anahit Margaryan talked with the authors of the new textbooks, musicologists Artur Avenosov and Tatevik Shakhkulyan, in "Artfocus".
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The newly elected rector presented the problems of the State Academy of Fine Arts
What are the cracks of the State Academy of Fine Arts and what is its development perspective? In May, Vardan Azatyan, a professor of art, was elected as the rector of the academy. He is an art critic, historian, theoretician, has been teaching at the academy for more than 20 years, and has also lectured at foreign universities. In 2014, he founded the Institute of Humanitarian Studies named after Ashot Hovhannisyan. Anahit Margaryan discussed the future of the academy with the new rector in "Artfocus".
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Winner of international competitions
Pianist Levon Karapetyan is in his homeland
Pianist Levon Karapetyan is a laureate of national and international competitions. Having become blind at the age of 6, he accepted the challenge of fate and graduated from A. Hekimyan and A. Spendaryan Music schools. Then he studied at the Yerevan State Conservatory named after Komitas, received bachelor's and master's degrees, improved in Strasbourg. He regularly performs in solo concerts and accompanied by symphony orchestras. After a long absence, Levon is in his homeland.
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The director of the film "Stone" presented a new film
The focus of attention of Armenian film writers has almost always been on the genre of war cinematography. Many of the figures of Armenian cinema went to the front, took part in military operations, in order to make more realistic films. The continuation of this tradition is the young director Arman Ayvazyan who lives next to us today. His film "Stone" tells about a group of volunteers who risk their lives to enter Kashatagh days before the deadline for the handover of Artsakh territories to search for and save the Armenian khachkars from destruction. The film won the Silver Apricot at the Golden Apricot Festival in 2023. And the other day, the closed screening of Arman Ayvazyan's new film took place. Anahit Margaryan spoke with the director about films, war, documentary in "Artfocus".
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350 rugs and carpets are displayed in the museum of folk arts
Metal art works, silverware, stone art, ceramics, micro-sculptures, 350 carpets and rugs are displayed in the Hovhannes Sharambeyan Museum of Folk Arts. The collection of Armenian decorative and applied arts housed in the museum includes almost 12,000 exhibits. The 45-year-old museum is active. Anahit Margrayan discussed educational programs and cooperation with folk art masters on the "Artfocus" program with museum director Lusine Toroyan.
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