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:

• 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.

Armen Yesayants is a Yerevan-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.

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: click here to register