PRESS RELEASE:
Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Avenida de:
Berna 45-A, 1067-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Contact: Vera Cunha
Phone: (351) 21 782 3658
Email: mailto:[email protected]:
Web: gulbenkian.pt:
The beneficiaries of 2026 have been announced
Welcome to the Armenian Communities Department of the Kulpenkean Foundation with joy
announces the ten beneficiaries of 2026. This year again, modern
those who shape culture consider it as a social infrastructure, an animal
and a breathing network that turns Western Armenian into a moving image, a number
through instruments, music and acting.
The conditions of development in the Armenian global landscape, now again
The grant program remains a vital platform for contemporary creatives.
which use Western Armenian as an effective means of innovative expression.
The projects selected for this round will show how art can bridge
borders, connecting the Armenian Diaspora communities, voices and
the memories.
This year's election represents a wide geographical spread, from Lebanon and
From Armenia to France, Germany, Ghana and the United States of America:
reflecting the global nature of the Western Armenian creative world.
Beneficiaries and projects. • Arman Peshtmaljian: (Armenia/France/USA): 1001 votes. A musical project that explores the global Armenian experience
various vocal expressions. Five new Western Armenian works based on
newly written or creatively translated on modern originals. • Armenian works (US/Group): The words that bring us
dedicate scattered schools. A publication that will be part of a collection, where
each will offer a contribution to the translation and implementation of Western Armenian
an experimental school. • Christopher Adamian, Tamar Jovsepian, Nane Dautean
(USA/Armenia/Group): Anna Boghikian. documentary film. Animated portrait
about the famous contemporary artist Anna Boghikian, whose works are significant
shaped by identity, memory, materiality and culture
discussions surrounding continuity in the world of modern art. • Yakob Manoukian (Lebanon/Armenia): Lebanese Armenian
the voice box. A film that will document the unique sound of the Lebanese Armenian community
panorama and musical heritage, examining whether art and language
how will they reflect their time, and how historical, political and
economic forces shape the direction and forms of expression of art. • Hrand Galemkerian (France/Lebanon): AIRCRAFT. What a project
will present a documentary-Yorinov series to share the Diaspora Armenian
the stories of the communities and bring them to Purch Hamut to tell them again
for Through short video clips, he will spread Diaspora stories that
they mix imaginary and real elements. • Marlene Yetoian (Ghana/Armenia): Language
psycho-geography. A study of the environment and the areas we live in
how they shape perceptions, behaviors and experiences. Testimonial
a hybrid film that approaches language through the prism of psycho-geography. The movie is
examine how language survives when it is deprived of a stable geography, and whether
how it reshapes identity in time and space. • Niagara by Armine Neige Tonoli (France): Twice Traveled. A critical look at the layers of displacement and identity confrontation. A documentary film about the Armenian families of the Rhone Valley in France
participated in repatriation to Soviet Armenia in 1936 and 1947. • Silvina Der Mkrtician (Germany): Languages. research
the book as a way to understand Diaspora and multilingualism. Multilingual, experimental
book m, based on Grigor Peltean's Western Armenian original of the same name. The project combines selected sections on Diaspora and multilingualism
experiential reflections with photographic work. • Serli Khachikoglu (USA): Between Languages. the language of memory. A multi-sensory exhibition and accompanying website that explores
Armenian intergenerational identity, seeing Western Armenian as a care,
language of survival and belonging. A work that is rooted in personal and
in family stories, weaving them into visual art, writing,
through audio and archival materials. • Tsolak Galstyan (Armenia): Embodied language. "Noir"
A trilogy of (noir) style dance films, which is the interior of Western Armenian poetry
it translates power into the language of movement and truth. An interdisciplinary project that
create three short dance films, each inspired by a Western Armenian great
work of a poet. Galust Külpenkean Foundation continues to support these projects
view culture as a fundamental infrastructure. These things will do more than
simply preserving the language. they innovate with language by providing
the lasting connection of Western Armenian with critical thinking, the excellence of art
and a means of friendly communication.
now also|in view provides benefits up to 10,000 euros for each project
for We are eagerly waiting for the implementation of these projects. in front of them
will be presented on digital platforms, exhibitions and
through furniture.
For more information, visit the page, subscribe to the Department
newsletter and follow our Facebook page:
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Culture as Social Infrastructure. Announcing the 2026 Awardees again
The Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is:
pleased to announce the ten awardees of the 2026 in view grants. This:
year's cohort explores the concept of culture as a "social infrastructure" – a
living, breathing network that sustains the Western Armenian language through:
film, digital media, music, and performance. As the global Armenian landscape continues to evolve, the future is also in view
program remains a vital platform for contemporary creators who use Western
Armenian as a dynamic tool for modern expression. The selected projects for this
cycle demonstrate how art can act as a bridge across borders, connecting the
communities, sounds, and memories of the Diaspora and its language. This year’s selection represents a diverse geographical spread, from Lebanon and
Armenia to France, Germany, Canada and the United States, reflecting the global
nature of the Western Armenian creative world. Below is the list of awardees and projects:
• Arman Peshtmaljyan (Armenia/France/USA): 1001 Voices - A music-driven
project exploring the diverse vocalities of the global Armenian experience;
creating five new original works in Western Armenian, based on newly written or
creatively translated contemporary texts. • Armenian Creatives (USA/Group): Those, words that offer to us: dispersed
schools - A publication that will gather a collection of syllabi, project
packets, workbooks, and more wherein each contribution offers a distinct
interpretation of a lesson plan using their research findings as their source
material. A compendium in which each contribution proposes an experimental
school for translating and practicing Western Armenian. • Christopher Atamian, Tamar Hovsepian, Nane Davtyan (USA/Group): Anna
Boghiguian Documentary - A cinematic portrait of the renowned contemporary
artist Anna Boghiguian, whose work has significantly shaped the discourse around
identity, memory, materiality, and cultural continuity in contemporary art. • Hakob Manukyan (Lebanon/Armenia): Armenian Soundtrack of Lebanon - A
film that will document Beirut’s musical trajectory and legacy as it explores
how art and language reflect their times, and how historical, political, and
economic forces, in turn, shape artistic direction and expression. • Hrant Kalemkerian (France/Lebanon): ՕԴԱԲԵՐԻԿ (Otaperig) - The two-part
project will feature a docufictional series using archives, photographs,
letters, oral histories, and stories told within intimate circles to document
stories from Armenian communities worldwide and bring them to Bourj-Hammoud to
be told; and a stopmotion series, which will collect news from the daily lives
of different Armenian communities. • Marlene Edoyan (Canada/Armenia): Psychogeography of Language - A
feature-length hybrid essay film that approaches language through the lens of
psychogeography. It explores how language survives when separated from stable
geography and how it reshapes identity across time and place. • Niagara Arminée Neige Tonolli (France): Those who left twice | Երկու
անգամ մեկնածները - A documentary about Armenian families from the Rhône Valley
in France (Décines, Valence, Vienne) who took part in the repatriation movements
to Soviet Armenia during the campaigns of 1936 and 1947. • Silvina Der Meguerditchian (Germany): Languages | Լեզուներ - A
multilingual, experimental book based on the eponymous Western Armenian text by
Krikor Beledian. The project combines selected fragments and essayistic
reflections on Diaspora and multilingualism with photographic work. • Serli Hachigoglu (USA): Between Tongues: The Language of Memory - An
immersive, multisensory exhibition and accompanying website exploring
intergenerational Armenian identity through Western Armenian as a language of
nurture, survival and belonging. • Tsolak Galstyan (Armenia): “Embodied Language” - An interdisciplinary
cultural production project that will create three short dance films in
cinematic noir style, each inspired by the poetry of a major Western Armenian
poet. By supporting these projects, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation continues to
treat culture as a fundamental infrastructure. These works do more than preserve
the language; they innovate within it, ensuring that Western Armenian remains a
medium for critical thought, artistic excellence, and social connection. The արդ եւս|in view grants provide up to €10,000 in support per project. We look
forward to the debut of these works, which will be shared through various
digital platforms, screenings, and installations over the coming years. For further information please visit: subscribe to our newsletter and
follow our Facebook page:
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--Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Mary Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2026/04/28/culture-as-social-infrastructure-announcing-the-2026-awardee-again/