Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), UK
CAUCASUS REPORTING SERVICE, No. 580
March 3, 2011
YEREVAN URGED TO UPDATE VIEW OF ARTS
Limited state support and commercial opportunities for contemporary artists.
By Karin Grigoryan
The government in Armenia is under fire from some in the artistic
community who accuse it of largely ignoring developments since the
Soviet period.
The state-run Museum of Modern Art, opened in 1972, is distinctly
lacking in recent works, despite its name. The modern arts scene dates
from the 1980s, and differs greatly from the museum’s collection,
which consists mainly of works by earlier generations of artists like
Minas, Hakob Hakobyan, Deghdz Ashot and others.
The museum does allow its galleries to be used to show contemporary
works, but critics say it has made no new acquisitions.
`After independence [in 1991], the state stopped buying art. The
institution must be revived since it gives purpose to artists’ work,’
Sona Harutyunyan, head of contemporary arts at the culture ministry,
said.
This year, the ministry is expecting a 15 per cent increase on its
2010 budget of 20 million US dollars, and Harutyunyan said any new
purchases would be placed in the Museum of Modern Art.
Artist Sahak Poghosyan and critic Lilit Sargsyan wrote to the
government last year suggesting it set up a modern arts fund to
collect and preserve works produced in Armenia since the mid-1980s,
and also to acquire art generated by the substantial Armenian diaspora
worldwide.
The government approved the scheme and instructed the culture ministry
to set up a fund.
But some say it needs to do more to create a more coherent policy for
supporting the arts
In their letter, Poghosyan and Sargsyan argued for changes in the law
to introduce tax breaks to encourage private investment in the arts.
Harutyunyan of the culture ministry said the government was prevented
from offering tax incentives by international agreements banning
protectionism.
Ara Nranyan, an economist and member of parliament from the opposition
Dashnaktsutyun party, said this was not the case.
`The international community makes no such demands,’ he said. `Driven
by neoliberal policies, Armenia is simply not pursuing policies
directed at supporting this area. Many developed countries like South
Korea, the United States and France are not shy of targeting economic
policies to support a particular sector.’
Armenian artists struggle to earn a living because the commercial
market for their work is limited.
`Yerevan’s commercial galleries are in poor shape and they are short
of customers, as they’re mainly geared towards foreigners,’
26-year-old artist Gor Yengoyan said. `Furthermore, private galleries
in the capital, whose number you can practically count on your
fingers, are almost entirely closed to young artists.’
Some young artists have made a name for themselves by publicising
their work on Facebook and other social networking sites.
Svetlana Antonyan, for example, starting posting images of her work on
Facebook after moving to Yerevan from the southern town of Meghri last
year. The publicity she generated has already got her invited to show
at two exhibitions in the capital.
`It isn’t important to me where my works are shown,’ she said. `I just
want people to see them and express a view.’
Karin Grigoryan is a freelance reporter in Armenia.
From: A. Papazian