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"Armenia" mural by Minas becomes a hostage of bureaucratic acrimony
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectidú4474E0-84DF-11E2-B4B7F6327207157C
Monday, March 4, 18:20
The bureaucratic acrimony has given birth to the question: "Will or
won't the "Armenia" mural by Minas be restored?"
The mural is in Vahramaberd village, Shirak region. The well-known
artist Minas Avetisyan drew it in 1973 on the wall of the Culture
Palace. After the quake in 1988 the building collapsed almost
completely, and later the mural, which had a miraculous escape, was
put into a protective box. The Minas Foundation has repeatedly raised
the issue of the necessity to restore the mural, however, the rural
community was against taking the mural out of Vahramaberd. A new House
of Culture should have become the new shelter of Minas' work. As a
result, the mural was damaged in several parts in the course of
construction of the House. In addition, the builders poured concrete
on the right side of "Armenia".
Arman Avetisyan, Minas' son and the head of the Minas Foundation, told
ArmInfo that though the mural is in a disastrous condition, its
restoration has not started yet. Earlier the Minas Foundation, which
has been cooperating with Palazzo Spinelli Institute of Art
Restoration (Florence), controlled the restoration of the artist's
murals. However, all of a sudden, the Agency for Protection of
Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Armenian Culture Ministry
interfered with the issue. Avetisyan says that now the Agency does
not allow the Foundation to participate in the restoration of the
mural without a relevant license.
"The absurdity of the situation is that there is no license for
restoration in Armenia. The matter concerns the license provided for
construction and other operations having nothing to do with
restoration of murals", said Avetisyan. He added that he had raised
this issue during a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Culture of
Armenia, however, the meeting gave no results. The situation is even
complicated by the fact that the Italian specialists refuse to work
with anyone, except the Minas Foundation. Thus, the issue of the mural
restoration has reached a deadlock, as the Agency itself has no
specialists in art restoration. "The mural "Armenia" suffers from this
situation; it needs to be restored urgently", he said.
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectidú4474E0-84DF-11E2-B4B7F6327207157C
Monday, March 4, 18:20
The bureaucratic acrimony has given birth to the question: "Will or
won't the "Armenia" mural by Minas be restored?"
The mural is in Vahramaberd village, Shirak region. The well-known
artist Minas Avetisyan drew it in 1973 on the wall of the Culture
Palace. After the quake in 1988 the building collapsed almost
completely, and later the mural, which had a miraculous escape, was
put into a protective box. The Minas Foundation has repeatedly raised
the issue of the necessity to restore the mural, however, the rural
community was against taking the mural out of Vahramaberd. A new House
of Culture should have become the new shelter of Minas' work. As a
result, the mural was damaged in several parts in the course of
construction of the House. In addition, the builders poured concrete
on the right side of "Armenia".
Arman Avetisyan, Minas' son and the head of the Minas Foundation, told
ArmInfo that though the mural is in a disastrous condition, its
restoration has not started yet. Earlier the Minas Foundation, which
has been cooperating with Palazzo Spinelli Institute of Art
Restoration (Florence), controlled the restoration of the artist's
murals. However, all of a sudden, the Agency for Protection of
Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Armenian Culture Ministry
interfered with the issue. Avetisyan says that now the Agency does
not allow the Foundation to participate in the restoration of the
mural without a relevant license.
"The absurdity of the situation is that there is no license for
restoration in Armenia. The matter concerns the license provided for
construction and other operations having nothing to do with
restoration of murals", said Avetisyan. He added that he had raised
this issue during a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Culture of
Armenia, however, the meeting gave no results. The situation is even
complicated by the fact that the Italian specialists refuse to work
with anyone, except the Minas Foundation. Thus, the issue of the mural
restoration has reached a deadlock, as the Agency itself has no
specialists in art restoration. "The mural "Armenia" suffers from this
situation; it needs to be restored urgently", he said.