The Venice Biennale and Armenia
Armen Yesayants
At the next meeting of the lecture series, Armen Yesayants will speak about the Venice Biennale and Armenia’s participation in this platform.
The Venice Biennale is one of the oldest and most important cultural events in the world, presenting the latest developments in contemporary art. The Republic of Armenia has been participating in the Venice Biennale for nearly thirty years.
In 2024, the organization of the national pavilion was entrusted to the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, curated by Armen Yesayants.
During the lecture, not only the history of the Venice Biennale will be presented, but also the relationship of Armenian fine arts to it, including beyond the national pavilion.
The Venice Biennale is one of the oldest and most important cultural events in the world, presenting the latest developments in contemporary art. The Republic of Armenia has been participating in the Venice Biennale for nearly thirty years.
In 2024, the organization of the national pavilion was entrusted to the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, curated by Armen Yesayants.
During the lecture, not only the history of the Venice Biennale will be presented, but also the relationship of Armenian fine arts to it, including beyond the national pavilion.
18:30 — Doors open
19:00 — Lecture starts
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Location: Cafesjian Center for the Arts (10 Tamanyan Street)
Date: 11 April
Language: Armenian
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Participation was free with registration
19:00 — Lecture starts
————
Location: Cafesjian Center for the Arts (10 Tamanyan Street)
Date: 11 April
Language: Armenian
————
Participation was free with registration
- Armen YesayantsLecturerYerevan-based curator, art historian, and cultural manager. He serves as Director of Exhibitions at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts (Գաֆէսճեան արվեստի կենտրոն), where he has curated and co-organized nearly 50 exhibitions since 2012. In 2024, he curated the Armenian National Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale. Armen holds a PhD in Art History from Yerevan State University and an MA in Arts & Cultural Management from King’s College London.
He is also the co-founder and co-host of ArtASOVOR, the first Armenian podcast dedicated to modern and contemporary art. His curatorial practice and research focus on modern and contemporary art — particularly Armenian and post-Soviet visual culture — and explore the intersections of ideology, identity, and memory, with special attention to the role of museums in shaping cross-cultural dialogue.
The upcoming meeting will address one of the most pressing questions that concerns the public in relation to contemporary art: what is art and what is not. Surprisingly, this very question has largely shaped the development of art over the past hundred years.
Armen will speak about how it came to be that a chaotic mix of stains and lines on canvas, or a banana taped to a wall, have acquired such significance and artistic value.
Can contemporary art, from a historical perspective, be as substantial as the works of the old masters and the art of the ancient world?
Where: Nikolay Nikoghosyan Foundation (Saryan 19/21)
When: 28 March
Time: 19:00
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
Armen will speak about how it came to be that a chaotic mix of stains and lines on canvas, or a banana taped to a wall, have acquired such significance and artistic value.
Can contemporary art, from a historical perspective, be as substantial as the works of the old masters and the art of the ancient world?
Where: Nikolay Nikoghosyan Foundation (Saryan 19/21)
When: 28 March
Time: 19:00
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
Armen Yesayants & Lisa Shirinyan
One of the important functions of a museum is education. But this concept has evolved far beyond simply visiting an exhibition to enrich one's knowledge.
For this session, Armen will be joined by art historian Lisa Shirinyan, the Director of Education at the Cafestjian Center for the Arts. Together, they will present what museum education means, illustrated through several important examples.
Today, the educational component has expanded into specialized programs and initiatives, effectively turning art institutions into centers of non-formal education.
In this sense, the Cafesjian Center for the Arts is one of the most active institutions in Armenia, where exhibition and educational programs are deeply intertwined.
Where: Cafesjian Center for the Arts (1 Tamanyan St)
When: December 13
Time: 19:00
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
One of the important functions of a museum is education. But this concept has evolved far beyond simply visiting an exhibition to enrich one's knowledge.
For this session, Armen will be joined by art historian Lisa Shirinyan, the Director of Education at the Cafestjian Center for the Arts. Together, they will present what museum education means, illustrated through several important examples.
Today, the educational component has expanded into specialized programs and initiatives, effectively turning art institutions into centers of non-formal education.
In this sense, the Cafesjian Center for the Arts is one of the most active institutions in Armenia, where exhibition and educational programs are deeply intertwined.
Where: Cafesjian Center for the Arts (1 Tamanyan St)
When: December 13
Time: 19:00
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
For the fourth session of our series, art historian and curator Armen Yesayants, will explore The Curatorial Orbit of Contemporary Art.
The talk examines the curatorial institution as a phenomenon rooted in the 1960s conceptual art movement and the whirlpool of postmodernism.
In the contemporary world, curatorship is no longer merely about organizing exhibitions; it has become a field for shaping thought and public discourse. Armen will discuss how the curator acts as a researcher, communicator, and author of creative environments, creating new contexts where artworks speak in different ways.
Where: Art Space of Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation (Saryan 19/21)
When: November 29
Time: 19:00
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
The talk examines the curatorial institution as a phenomenon rooted in the 1960s conceptual art movement and the whirlpool of postmodernism.
In the contemporary world, curatorship is no longer merely about organizing exhibitions; it has become a field for shaping thought and public discourse. Armen will discuss how the curator acts as a researcher, communicator, and author of creative environments, creating new contexts where artworks speak in different ways.
Where: Art Space of Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation (Saryan 19/21)
When: November 29
Time: 19:00
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
The talk, “Women Artists in Armenian Art”, directly addresses the most overlooked aspect in academic research and institutional frameworks over the past century. The lecture spans a period, tracing from Aytsemnik Urartu to Nairy Baghramian, aiming to restore these significant figures to the core narrative.
Bonus: Armen will also share a few pragmatic insights about an upcoming exhibition at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, dedicated to another long-forgotten yet significant figure in Armenian art.
Where: Art Space of Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation (Saryan 19/21)
When: November 8
Time: 19:00
Doors: 18:30
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
Bonus: Armen will also share a few pragmatic insights about an upcoming exhibition at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, dedicated to another long-forgotten yet significant figure in Armenian art.
Where: Art Space of Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation (Saryan 19/21)
When: November 8
Time: 19:00
Doors: 18:30
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
The first lecture — “The Margins of Armenian Modern and Contemporary Art” — unfolded into such a wide and fascinating discussion that we decided to divide it into two parts.
After tracing the story up to the 1980s, this second part picks up from there, diving into the shifting landscape of the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods.
It’s also a chance to hear more about a major exhibition of Armenian art recently opened in the United States, co-curated by Armen himself.
Where: Art Space of Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation (Saryan 19/21)
When: October 24
Time: 19:00
Doors: 18:30
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
Click here to watch the lecture
After tracing the story up to the 1980s, this second part picks up from there, diving into the shifting landscape of the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods.
It’s also a chance to hear more about a major exhibition of Armenian art recently opened in the United States, co-curated by Armen himself.
Where: Art Space of Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation (Saryan 19/21)
When: October 24
Time: 19:00
Doors: 18:30
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
Click here to watch the lecture
In this lecture, art historian and curator Armen Yesayants, Director of Exhibitions at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, will explore narratives that remain on the margins of Armenian modern and contemporary art history. He will discuss a number of Armenian artists and art movements of the 20th and 21st centuries that have remained outside broader public circulation, despite their importance both in the local Armenian context and globally. The talk will address figures entirely unknown to the wider public, as well as those whose reception within Armenian reality has been narrowly framed.
Where: Art Space of Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation (Saryan 19/21)
When: September 23
Time: 19:00
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
Click here to watch the lecture
Where: Art Space of Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation (Saryan 19/21)
When: September 23
Time: 19:00
Language: Armenian
Participation was free with registration
Click here to watch the lecture
about
Series of Lectures featuring Armen Yesayants
Modern and Contemporary Art: Armenia in a Global Context
Modern and Contemporary Art: Armenia in a Global Context
hosq presents a series of lectures with art historian and curator Armen Yesayants, Director of Exhibitions at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts. He will address a broad spectrum of issues in visual art, including:
This series promises to be valuable and engaging both for professionals and for a broader art-loving public. The scope of the lectures may continue to evolve, with new topics and stimulating discussions introduced in collaboration with local and international specialists.
- narratives of Armenian modern and contemporary art that have remained outside wider public circulation
- the introduction of lesser-known figures
- shedding light on the legacy of women artists
- examining the role of the curatorial institution in relation to art
- reflections on art and the educational mission of museums
- exploring the “art versus non-art” discourse
- considering Armenia’s history of participation in the Venice Art Biennale, while sharing his own experience
This series promises to be valuable and engaging both for professionals and for a broader art-loving public. The scope of the lectures may continue to evolve, with new topics and stimulating discussions introduced in collaboration with local and international specialists.
partners
Nikolay Nikoghosyan
Cultural Foundation
The “Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation” was founded by Master Nikoghosyan in 2018 and was opened as an art space in August 2019.
In the art space of “Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation” are represented the sculptures, graphics, and paintings of People’s artist of Armenian SSR, People’s artist of USSR, owner of State Prize of USSR, member of Russian Academy of Arts, professor Nikolay Nikoghosyan (1918-2018).
nikogosyanfoundation.com
Cultural Foundation
The “Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation” was founded by Master Nikoghosyan in 2018 and was opened as an art space in August 2019.
In the art space of “Nikolay Nikoghosyan Cultural Foundation” are represented the sculptures, graphics, and paintings of People’s artist of Armenian SSR, People’s artist of USSR, owner of State Prize of USSR, member of Russian Academy of Arts, professor Nikolay Nikoghosyan (1918-2018).
nikogosyanfoundation.com
The Cafesjian Center for the Arts
The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is dedicated to bringing the best of contemporary art to Armenia and presenting the best of Armenian culture to the world. Inspired by the vision of its founder, Gerard L. Cafesjian, the Center offers a wide variety of exhibitions, including a selection of important work from the Cafesjian Art Trust.
The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is an institutional member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
nikogosyanfoundation.com
The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is dedicated to bringing the best of contemporary art to Armenia and presenting the best of Armenian culture to the world. Inspired by the vision of its founder, Gerard L. Cafesjian, the Center offers a wide variety of exhibitions, including a selection of important work from the Cafesjian Art Trust.
The Cafesjian Center for the Arts is an institutional member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
nikogosyanfoundation.com
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