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2012 ARTS AND CULTURE: FILMS, FESTIVALS, RESTORATIONS, AND THE LOSS OF A BELOVED SINGER
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
http://www.armenianow.com/arts_and_culture/42292/armenia_arts_culture2012
ARTS AND CULTURE | 26.12.12 | 11:21
Cultural life in Armenia in 2012 has been quite eventful with
theatre and film festivals, local and international exhibitions. In
2012 Yerevan was declared UNESCO World Book Capital. Not all of the
cultural events, however, have been received positively in Armenia,
some even stirred clamor among the society.
The cultural year was heralded by a major fire at Surb Nshan Church
in Tbilisi - one of the six churches that are a matter of dispute
between the Armenian Apostolic and Georgian Orthodox churches
In January, Armenian literature enthusiasts unveiled an upgraded
version of their literary website - Granish - popular among reading
aficionados and authors.
As Armenia celebrated Army Day, January 28, an Armenian-Russian joint
film was screened titled "If Everyone..." - a recollection of the
Karabakh war, which, as the authors stressed, is about peace rather
than war and a unique call for forgiveness and tolerance.
National Film Awards called "Hayak" took place in Yerevan in mid-March
2012, for the first time in the history of Armenian cinematography.
Armenian renowned writer, poet and public figure Hovhannes Tumanyan's
house in Tbilisi , Georgia, again appeared in the focus of public
attention after it became known that the family of Gyumri's mayor
had expressed readiness to buy it.
"Armenia: Imprints of a Civilization," an impressive exhibition of
more than 200 works spanning more than 1,000 years of Armenian written
culture , was organized in Venice.
The subcommittee on culture at the Public Council, a presidential
advisory body, approved of an ambitious initiative to build an exact
replica of Noah's Ark , using biblical dimensions, in Yerevan.
The 10th ArmMono One Man Show International Festival was held in
Yerevan in early spring, which gathered many renowned representatives
of Armenia's theater elite and guests from abroad.
Armenia officially withdrew from Eurovision 2012 song contest held
in Baku
The departing year stood out also for the resolution drafted by
three US senators, urging Turkey "to return to their rightful owners
all Christian churches " as well as to "end all forms of religious
discrimination."
"Stop" Azerbaijani Film Festival raised a big clamor among residents
of Gyumri and Vanadzor. Besides the several days' protests, there were
"threats to kill" the organizer Georgi Vanyan .
In May, a group of Armenia-based and Turkish artists presented their
works- 20 images 20 seconds each, the so-called 20x20 format, at the
Pecha Kucha Night Istanbul .
The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh initiated
founding an opera house in capital Stepanakert , at the suggestion
of cultural figures of Armenia's opera community.
In June it was announced that a Union of Circus Workers would be
formed in Armenia, inviting artists, performers and "intellectual
elite" to join.
The weeklong 9th Golden Apricot international film festival brought
many celebrities to the Armenian capital
The festival "chain" continued in October, this time with an
international animated film festival, ReAnimania held in Yerevan for
the fourth time.
The first stage of restoration works of Armenia's most beautiful
ancient capital Ani in modern-day Turkey (Western Armenia) completed,
and Armenian experts' have been trying to get a chance to participate
at least in the second stage of the three-year restoration project
of Ani's four churches
Since November, a display of Armenian treasures celebrating the
500th anniversary of Armenian printing, the designation of Yerevan
as 2012-2013 World Book Capital and the 20th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia
and the United Kingdom, has been on show in the Ritblat Treasures
Gallery of the British Library.
A boy band representing Armenia finished third in Junior Eurovision
2012 that ended in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
In early December, an old Armenian heroic epic, Daredevils of Sassoun ,
has been included in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Armenia's beloved singer Flora Martirosyan died in Los Angeles
on November 20, at age 55. She was laid to rest in her homeland's
Pantheon alongside statesmen, artists and other figures whose lives
contributed to the history and culture of Armenia.
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
http://www.armenianow.com/arts_and_culture/42292/armenia_arts_culture2012
ARTS AND CULTURE | 26.12.12 | 11:21
Cultural life in Armenia in 2012 has been quite eventful with
theatre and film festivals, local and international exhibitions. In
2012 Yerevan was declared UNESCO World Book Capital. Not all of the
cultural events, however, have been received positively in Armenia,
some even stirred clamor among the society.
The cultural year was heralded by a major fire at Surb Nshan Church
in Tbilisi - one of the six churches that are a matter of dispute
between the Armenian Apostolic and Georgian Orthodox churches
In January, Armenian literature enthusiasts unveiled an upgraded
version of their literary website - Granish - popular among reading
aficionados and authors.
As Armenia celebrated Army Day, January 28, an Armenian-Russian joint
film was screened titled "If Everyone..." - a recollection of the
Karabakh war, which, as the authors stressed, is about peace rather
than war and a unique call for forgiveness and tolerance.
National Film Awards called "Hayak" took place in Yerevan in mid-March
2012, for the first time in the history of Armenian cinematography.
Armenian renowned writer, poet and public figure Hovhannes Tumanyan's
house in Tbilisi , Georgia, again appeared in the focus of public
attention after it became known that the family of Gyumri's mayor
had expressed readiness to buy it.
"Armenia: Imprints of a Civilization," an impressive exhibition of
more than 200 works spanning more than 1,000 years of Armenian written
culture , was organized in Venice.
The subcommittee on culture at the Public Council, a presidential
advisory body, approved of an ambitious initiative to build an exact
replica of Noah's Ark , using biblical dimensions, in Yerevan.
The 10th ArmMono One Man Show International Festival was held in
Yerevan in early spring, which gathered many renowned representatives
of Armenia's theater elite and guests from abroad.
Armenia officially withdrew from Eurovision 2012 song contest held
in Baku
The departing year stood out also for the resolution drafted by
three US senators, urging Turkey "to return to their rightful owners
all Christian churches " as well as to "end all forms of religious
discrimination."
"Stop" Azerbaijani Film Festival raised a big clamor among residents
of Gyumri and Vanadzor. Besides the several days' protests, there were
"threats to kill" the organizer Georgi Vanyan .
In May, a group of Armenia-based and Turkish artists presented their
works- 20 images 20 seconds each, the so-called 20x20 format, at the
Pecha Kucha Night Istanbul .
The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh initiated
founding an opera house in capital Stepanakert , at the suggestion
of cultural figures of Armenia's opera community.
In June it was announced that a Union of Circus Workers would be
formed in Armenia, inviting artists, performers and "intellectual
elite" to join.
The weeklong 9th Golden Apricot international film festival brought
many celebrities to the Armenian capital
The festival "chain" continued in October, this time with an
international animated film festival, ReAnimania held in Yerevan for
the fourth time.
The first stage of restoration works of Armenia's most beautiful
ancient capital Ani in modern-day Turkey (Western Armenia) completed,
and Armenian experts' have been trying to get a chance to participate
at least in the second stage of the three-year restoration project
of Ani's four churches
Since November, a display of Armenian treasures celebrating the
500th anniversary of Armenian printing, the designation of Yerevan
as 2012-2013 World Book Capital and the 20th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Armenia
and the United Kingdom, has been on show in the Ritblat Treasures
Gallery of the British Library.
A boy band representing Armenia finished third in Junior Eurovision
2012 that ended in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
In early December, an old Armenian heroic epic, Daredevils of Sassoun ,
has been included in UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Armenia's beloved singer Flora Martirosyan died in Los Angeles
on November 20, at age 55. She was laid to rest in her homeland's
Pantheon alongside statesmen, artists and other figures whose lives
contributed to the history and culture of Armenia.