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ARMENIAN MUSEUM OF FRANCE IS ON THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION
March 27, 2015 12:27
EXCLUSIVE
The year of the Armenian Genocide Centennial is tragic for the
Armenian Museum of France. Around 1200 works of art rescued by the
Mets Yeghern survivors were removed from the exhibition halls and
ended up in boxes. The Director of the Museum alarms but the French
government ignores the issue.
In 1949, French Armenian Nourhan Frangian brought together the
collection of artworks by Armenian migrants. In 1953, during the
presidency of Vincent Auriol, the collection was housed on the first
floor of the building located at 59 Avenue Foch in the 16th district
in Paris- this is where the exclusive exhibits were located over the
past years.
In 1987, Frangian Foundation and Armenian Museum of France were
established. In the same year, the collection was recognized public
property. After the death of the founder of the Museum, his son-
Frederic Frangian- inherited this patriotic work.
Talking to Mediamax, Frederic Frangian noted that the Museum is
currently in a hopeless state - the doors have been closed for around
15 years - and now it's on the brink of destruction.
"After the death of my father, I undertook this activity but later I
became a director of a non-existing museum, as I had to close it. Due
to lacking conditions of the 19th century building, we couldn't host
visitors. Another museum collection located at the same address was
also close to the public", he said.
In August 2011, on the occasion of reconstruction works, French
Ministry of Culture turned to the Armenian Museum to empty their
exhibition halls temporarily and transport the collection assuring
that after the reconstruction- in May 2012- it will be returned to
the former place in the same form. After the construction works,
however, the Armenian Museum was banned to go back to its area-
the exhibition halls became the vault of the neighboring museum.
The Armenian Museum alarmed about the situation, appealed to all
the possible bodies but the efforts were in vain, moreover, the
situation deteriorated: the fixtures of the building doors were
changed thus blocking the entrance to the Armenian Museum, and there
is no information on the fate of the collection.
After the 3 years of silence of French Ministry of Culture, on
February 17 this year, Minister Fleur Pellerin wrote a letter to the
administration of the Museum noting that the issue could be addressed
once for all.
A few days ago, Frederic Frangian met with the Ministry representatives
to find out that the possible option mentioned in the letter was
to transport the items in the Museum to the Marseilles where the
collection would be transferred to the vault of the Museum of European
and Mediterranean Civilization.
In fact, it was suggested to store the samples, that means the
collections won't be exhibited. Thus, another hope for saving the
Museum is fading away.
The Director and administration of the Museum met with a number of
politicians who expressed their opinion on the Ministry's decision.
According to them, the Minister's letter was only for defusing the
tension. When the year of the Armenian Genocide Centennial passes
and the attention to Armenia wanes, the issue of the Museum will be
"buried" for good.
The same people say that the situation has also it's "advantages"-
the Ministry already demonstrates that the exhibition halls of the
Armenian Museum will be used to other ends and won't be allocated
to the Museum, while the security issue had been the reason for
transportation of the collection before that. Now it's easier to
notice the attitude of the long years toward the Museum.
The administration told us that they rejected the Ministry's offer-
it's not open to question that the Armenian Museum be "buried" in a
vault of another museum.
"While I'm alive, I will be fighting to save the Museum. I can't let
the invaluable works which destruction will mean an annihilation of
a whole history be festered in the boxes", the Director stresses.
He doesn't want to politicize culture. He tries to believe that it's
only an issue of an area. But he doesn't hide his surprise, either,
that French President Francoise Holland is going to leave for Armenia
on the Armenian Genocide Centennial event but he completely ignores
the fate of the Armenian Museum.
"I keep believing in people and don't want to think it a deliberate
step but I can't ignore that everything was illegal. A unique
cultural heritage encapsulating a history of 3000 years and around
1200 artworks- is endangered", added Frangian.
People often ask the Director of the Museum why he doesn't want to
transport the collection to Armenia. His position is unchangeable-
all the exhibits should remain in France. "The collection was created
by the Genocide survivors and if we take it to Armenia it will mean
sweeping away all the traces of the migrants. The items were brought
by those people who mostly migrated from Turkey. My parents also came
from that place in 1917", he notes.
The dedicated Director doesn't stop his efforts to save the Museum
and present it to the world. This cultural hub was given life in a
virtual version - www.le-maf.com is where you can visit and see the
whole splendor of the collection. Besides manuscripts, it comprises
outfits, religious samples and other items. 3D site has been available
since 2009, and it's still being improved and enriched.
The online signature collection is one of the efforts to save the
Museum which is available up to now.
Ellada Ghukasyan-Barseghyan, Mediamax's correspondent in Paris
http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/society/13653#sthash.CTLxkdVL.dpuf
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
March 27, 2015 12:27
EXCLUSIVE
The year of the Armenian Genocide Centennial is tragic for the
Armenian Museum of France. Around 1200 works of art rescued by the
Mets Yeghern survivors were removed from the exhibition halls and
ended up in boxes. The Director of the Museum alarms but the French
government ignores the issue.
In 1949, French Armenian Nourhan Frangian brought together the
collection of artworks by Armenian migrants. In 1953, during the
presidency of Vincent Auriol, the collection was housed on the first
floor of the building located at 59 Avenue Foch in the 16th district
in Paris- this is where the exclusive exhibits were located over the
past years.
In 1987, Frangian Foundation and Armenian Museum of France were
established. In the same year, the collection was recognized public
property. After the death of the founder of the Museum, his son-
Frederic Frangian- inherited this patriotic work.
Talking to Mediamax, Frederic Frangian noted that the Museum is
currently in a hopeless state - the doors have been closed for around
15 years - and now it's on the brink of destruction.
"After the death of my father, I undertook this activity but later I
became a director of a non-existing museum, as I had to close it. Due
to lacking conditions of the 19th century building, we couldn't host
visitors. Another museum collection located at the same address was
also close to the public", he said.
In August 2011, on the occasion of reconstruction works, French
Ministry of Culture turned to the Armenian Museum to empty their
exhibition halls temporarily and transport the collection assuring
that after the reconstruction- in May 2012- it will be returned to
the former place in the same form. After the construction works,
however, the Armenian Museum was banned to go back to its area-
the exhibition halls became the vault of the neighboring museum.
The Armenian Museum alarmed about the situation, appealed to all
the possible bodies but the efforts were in vain, moreover, the
situation deteriorated: the fixtures of the building doors were
changed thus blocking the entrance to the Armenian Museum, and there
is no information on the fate of the collection.
After the 3 years of silence of French Ministry of Culture, on
February 17 this year, Minister Fleur Pellerin wrote a letter to the
administration of the Museum noting that the issue could be addressed
once for all.
A few days ago, Frederic Frangian met with the Ministry representatives
to find out that the possible option mentioned in the letter was
to transport the items in the Museum to the Marseilles where the
collection would be transferred to the vault of the Museum of European
and Mediterranean Civilization.
In fact, it was suggested to store the samples, that means the
collections won't be exhibited. Thus, another hope for saving the
Museum is fading away.
The Director and administration of the Museum met with a number of
politicians who expressed their opinion on the Ministry's decision.
According to them, the Minister's letter was only for defusing the
tension. When the year of the Armenian Genocide Centennial passes
and the attention to Armenia wanes, the issue of the Museum will be
"buried" for good.
The same people say that the situation has also it's "advantages"-
the Ministry already demonstrates that the exhibition halls of the
Armenian Museum will be used to other ends and won't be allocated
to the Museum, while the security issue had been the reason for
transportation of the collection before that. Now it's easier to
notice the attitude of the long years toward the Museum.
The administration told us that they rejected the Ministry's offer-
it's not open to question that the Armenian Museum be "buried" in a
vault of another museum.
"While I'm alive, I will be fighting to save the Museum. I can't let
the invaluable works which destruction will mean an annihilation of
a whole history be festered in the boxes", the Director stresses.
He doesn't want to politicize culture. He tries to believe that it's
only an issue of an area. But he doesn't hide his surprise, either,
that French President Francoise Holland is going to leave for Armenia
on the Armenian Genocide Centennial event but he completely ignores
the fate of the Armenian Museum.
"I keep believing in people and don't want to think it a deliberate
step but I can't ignore that everything was illegal. A unique
cultural heritage encapsulating a history of 3000 years and around
1200 artworks- is endangered", added Frangian.
People often ask the Director of the Museum why he doesn't want to
transport the collection to Armenia. His position is unchangeable-
all the exhibits should remain in France. "The collection was created
by the Genocide survivors and if we take it to Armenia it will mean
sweeping away all the traces of the migrants. The items were brought
by those people who mostly migrated from Turkey. My parents also came
from that place in 1917", he notes.
The dedicated Director doesn't stop his efforts to save the Museum
and present it to the world. This cultural hub was given life in a
virtual version - www.le-maf.com is where you can visit and see the
whole splendor of the collection. Besides manuscripts, it comprises
outfits, religious samples and other items. 3D site has been available
since 2009, and it's still being improved and enriched.
The online signature collection is one of the efforts to save the
Museum which is available up to now.
Ellada Ghukasyan-Barseghyan, Mediamax's correspondent in Paris
http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/society/13653#sthash.CTLxkdVL.dpuf
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress