Description of Project
ART WITHOUT BORDERS
Contemporary Art In The Caucasus And The Region:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Turkey
A Capacity Development Project
Partially Sponsored by A Grant
Provided by the Open Society Institute Assistance-Armenia
PREAMBLE:
The aim of the project is to promote regional cooperation and facilitate artistic and cultural exchange between Armenia and its 4 neighbors, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Turkey, as a means of development of contemporary art in the region. The idea originally started in 1999 with organization of periodic joint group exhibitions of arts of three neighboring republics of the Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Participation was later expanded to include Iran and Turkey as well.
The hope is that this project will become a stepping-stone for future cooperation in cultural fields between centuries old neighbors, and will symbolize the desire for peace and cooperation between their people.
The Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (“ACCEA”), a non-profit organization registered in the Republic of Armenia and the U.S.A., has received a grant from Open Society Institute (“Soros” Foundation) which has been allocated as partial support of this project.
ACCEA has been active in the ex-Soviet Republic of Armenia since 1992. It has taken part, and has organized many international projects and events, such as organization of Armenian Pavilions for 5 consecutive times at Venice Biennale, since 1995; participation at group exhibitions in Tbilisi, Georgia; Aleppo, Syria; Tehran, Iran; organization of Joint Exhibition of Russian and Armenian Avant-Garde Art in Yerevan; hosting of “Petit-Petit” traveling theatrical project in Yerevan, etc.
Artists and curators from three republics of the Southern Caucasus as well as Iran and Turkey will be supported and encouraged to produce contemporary art in collaboration with each other, and in par with international standards. This is probably the most important attribute of the project, since it brings the interaction to human and individual level.
Founders of the ACCEA have significant experience in international relations and projects, as well as working with emerging artists. They will be leading the project.
Present artistic and administrative staff of ACCEA is young and has great and promising potential for learning expansion and growth.
THE PROJECT:
PART I - Practicing contemporary art curators and/or critics, one from each of the participating republics will visit each other’s countries, where they will conduct studio visits. They will select art for a joint exhibition of avant-garde art to be held in participating countries.
During these visits the curators will take part in special seminars on issues, problems and ideas concerning organization and presentation of avant-garde art in the host country, in an attempt to create and stimulate interaction, exchange of ideas, and debate between specialists and artists.
The first of the seminars has been held in Yerevan on June 8, 2004. The one in Tbilisi has been scheduled to be held during the second half of January 2005. In Tehran the seminar will be held in April 2005, and the ones in Istanbul and Baku are in the pipeline.
For local language and English translation of papers presented in seminars please click here.
At the conclusion papers presented at these seminars and record of ensuing discussions will be translated into English and published in a unified volume.
PART II –A group exhibition of avant-garde art of the participating countries will be organized, which will travel to the capitals of the republics hosted by the participating organizations of the project.
A full color catalogue has been published for the exhibition. Click here for PDF version of the catalog.
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES:
- The seminar will be participated by local artists, art critics and curators, preferably by invitation.
- One representative from each of the other 4 countries (who will also be curators of modern art) will be invited to attend. At the hosting countries’ discretion the number of attendees may be increased.
- The seminar will be a one-day event, but the stay of the representatives will be longer to facilitate as many studio visits as possible.
- During the remainder of the week representatives/curators of 5 countries will do studio visits and review selection of works for the joint exhibition..
- Meeting reporters from the host country will record the proceedings of the seminars, which will be translated into English and presented at the similar seminars held in the other participating countries.
Joint Exhibition of Contemporary Art of 5 Republics
- The exhibition will start in the capital of one of the participating countries, and will travel to the other 4 republics.
- Within reason the exhibition space will be equitably divided between artists of participating countries.
For pictorial presentation of the exhibition in each city please click: