Welcome to the Cafesjian Center for the Arts!
The building that is already open as Cafesjian Art Center for many years has been a place of interest in the city of Yerevan. I wonder if the dream of the famous Armenian architect Alexander Tamanyan is now turned into reality?
Tamanyan wished to join the central and Nothern areas of the city, that is to say the historically inhabited and cultural centers. These two areas were planned to be joined by a large territory of waterfalls and gardens and this territory was to rush down from the highest hills of the city. Unfortunately, the architect did not manage to realize his project and only in 1970s the main architect of Yerevan Jim Torosyan gave a new life to this project. However, this again was not to take the construction of the monument to its culmination. It was only in 2002 that Mr. Gerard Cafesjian cooperating with the Municipality of Yerevan and also with the Government of the Republic of Armenia undertook the recently completed construction of Cascade. It took seven years to make a reality out of a miracle, it took seven years to reconstruct Cascade and to turn it into one of the world’s outstanding contemporary art centers. It took seven years to make Armenian people and guests all over the world believe that we have a wonderful monument that could undoubtedly serve as an assembly place for all those who love art, who live in art, who appreciate this remaining value.
During those seven years the monument was basically reconstructed and the main part of it was completely altered and turned into an art center that now bares the name of its main benefactor Gerard Cafesjian. It serves to bring the best of contemporary art to Armenia.
No words will ever do to describe the emotions and the surprise that conveyed the fairy evening of the 7th of November, the day of the opening ceremony of the Cafesjian Center of the Arts that was accompanied by unforgettable fireworks display. On the 8th of November at exactly 10:00 am the public was invited to celebrate the official opening ceremony of the Cafesjian Center of the Arts that was accompanied by the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Inspired by the vision of its founder, Mr. Gerard Cafesjian, the center offers a wide variety of exhibitions, the majority of which are derived from Mr. Cafesjian’s own extensive collection of contemporary art. However, let’s not hurry…
Such internationally recognized figures as Fernando Botero, Lynn Chadwick, Jaume Plensa and Barry Flanagangot mixing their bright imagination with years’ hard work created the Tamanyan Sculpture Park that is located at the base of the Cascade. It presents one of the world’s finest collections of monumental sculpture.
The Visitor Center is located at the ground floor of the Cascade. Here you can buy tickets to many events that are going to be held in the Cafesjian Center for the Arts. Here you will always be welcomed by the friendly staff and all your questions will get quick answers in different languages.
As soon as you enter the building adjacent to the Visitor Center Gallery One is located demonstrating a variety of exhibitions. The part of the exhibited objects pertain to Mr. Cafesjian’s private collection. Here a large-screen media display provides informational videos about Armenian artists and their artworks not only in Armenia but throughout the world.
Museum Store should also be mentioned as far as it includes not only merchandise from all over the world but also demonstrates unique artworks by such well-known artists as Dale Chihuly, Andy Warhol and Isamu Noguchi.
No one can stay indifferent to Khanjyan Hall representing such important events from the Armenian history as the creation of the Armenian Alphabet, the Battle of Vardanank and The Rebirth of Armenia.
In this building one can also admire the masterpieces of the world glass art, the artworks of the Czech glass artists Stanislav Libensky (1921-2002) and Jaroslava Brychtova. The artworks are located in the Sasuntsi Davit Hall and will remain there for a while. The art center also includes Sasuntsi Davit Garden Hall and Eagle Hall and the Special Events Auditorium offering the city’s premier venue for the best in classical, jazz and pop music.
The Eagle Garden Hall represents an exhibition entitled In the Mind of the Collector. The lovers of eclectic art can enjoy the amazing collection of objects, ranging from a 28-foot model of a ship on which Mr. Gerard Cafesjian served in the Pacific during World War II, to a rare 1906 Model N Ford Runabout, and a working model of a Wabash steam locomotive.
In 2007 Swarovski Cristal palace invited 18 international designers and artists to create a new approach of chandeliers. New York architectural studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro reacted creating their scandalous “Light Socks.” This is a completely new and modern approach of chandeliers that have also been brought to Yerevan and are now located in one of the halls of the art center.
The miracle of these two days will stay with me for a long time. This miracle will surely stay with all those who had a chance to be a part of these events.
“I’m extremely happy to be present at the opening ceremony of the museum and once more have a chance to be with you my dear Armenian nation. The idea of the construction of the center is the logical continuation of my great love to art and of the desire to find the best future for my art collections,” was mentioned in Gerard Cafesjian’s speech.
I think the city of Yerevan really deserves to have such wonderful events and the great fete that Mr. Cafesjian and all the organizers presented to the city. Art and culture are values that must be preserved. Such events are more than important to give people opportunities to be close to art.
Master class of Michael Kimmelman
It was a magical journey into the world of modern art full of mysteries and love to actual societal crafts but not high end abstract. The journey into the art by Michael Kimmelman who is an influential force in contemporary art with his Pulitzer Prize nominated book “The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa” was marvelous.
First of all the pre-story was really funny. I had to visit Mr. Kimmelman’s master class at 19:00 yesterday. I took my time to get prepared for this so, as always, I got there quite late. At the box office they said that all tickets had been sold by yesterday and all what I said was – “oo, yeah, our friends should be inside with our tickets”. So after two ticket checkers believing in this lie, I went to the hall, where I found more administrative staff saying, “No entrance after start”. I had to stay at the door because of this and after all I had to listen to the master class in a distance and at wrong angle. After a while administration thought that eventually it was better to let us in – so when they stopped fighting I went inside.
Master Class
According to Mr. Michael Kimmelman, chief art critic for the New York Times, studying art ‘provides us with clues about how to live our own lives more fully’ so, those who devote themselves to art do make their lives full. Living, according to him, can be a ‘daily masterpiece’ for each of us – we need to be a technical genius like Picasso to be able to live our lives artistically. One of Kimmelman’s examples is the dentist Hugh Francis Hicks, whose home was a makeshift light-bulb museum (with more than 75,000 light-bulbs in his collection of all times, from different places and devices). This is not a mere enthusiasm, but rather an abiding love that turned his interest into a matter of art.
One of Kimmelman’s intentions for master class, which he had achieved, was not to confront or approach art from the standpoint of an art critic, an art historian, or even as a professional artist, but rather as an amateur. Thus, Kimmelman presented ideas that were completely accessible to those with no particular education or background in the visual arts, but rather for those who can nonetheless come to appreciate more fully and profoundly the impact of art on those who are engaged in it. “Art touches the soul in ways that no other healing force can do” Mr. Kimmelman stated.
Question
Kimmelman’s passion for art and artists, a term that can be broadly defined to include the amateur pianists who turned up in Vienna for a competition and the light-bulb collector in London in addition to major figures such as Cezanne, Duchamp and Monet, is very apparent on the pages of this book. One reviewer called this a page-turner, and I must agree. I haven’t had the chance to get the book on the way so when everyone was waiting for signature – I was waiting with visit cards.
- - Oh, hi. I haven’t got chance to get the book for signature, but couldn’t lose the chance to ask question from The Art Expert!
- - Sure, no problem” he said.
- - We are developing project to promote Armenian Artists worldwide and I would like to know if we are on right way. We are presenting and promoting them in the way, not taking out them from context, from common ground of culture they have been grown without having pressure on the society. We are promoting them as Armenian Art with the slogan “Armenian Art Revealed”. What do you think, will the western society accept this kind of positioning or is it better to find other ways?
- “Well, this is a difficult question,” he said. In different cultures people perceive art differently and mainly they don’t think about culture or place. Instead there is a huge Armenian community worldwide that would love your strategy. Otherwise you might need to look a bit deeper into the strategy of art popularization and try to make focus on more tangible things.
That was what we were really searching for long time. We have started ArArt Project but none of us knew if we were on the right track. So we will undoubtedly take our chance. Eventually we are promoting each artists’ art as creative and as unique as it is. We haven’t lost anything, however, now we will just focuse on things which matter most. The good art should be selling itself from some time after initial push. Eventually, “the day of looking at bad art can be long and dark…” Michael Kimmelman’s quote would turn real values into real joy of natural art.
- Albert
UK Welcomes the Gyumri Artist
On October 22The British Ambassador to Armenia, Charles Londsdale hosted a reception for Armenian artist Arshak Sarkissian. The event, marked Sarkissian’s forthcoming departure for London, where he was to attend the opening of an exhibition of his recent works. Present at the Ambassador’s reception were family and friends of Sarkissian, local artists and art patrons, as well as representatives of museums, and the Ministry of Culture.
The opening of the exhibition of paintings and sculpture by Arshak Sarkissian, a young artist from Armenia at the Albemarle Gallery, 49 Albemarle Street. London, W1S 4JR took place on November 5th and will last until 28th.
Born in Gyumri, Armenia, Sarkissian achieved fame at a young age. The recipient of his country’s Presidential Gold Medal for Fine Arts, he was commissioned to redesign a section of the Zvartnots International Airport terminal. Since 1999 his works have been exhibited throughout the world. Most recently he completed a residency at New York’s Art Omi International.”
Today Arshak Sarkissian is widely regarded as the visual poet of Yerevan’s youth culture. His sprawling, densely populated canvases depict the sacred and the profane of a society in giddy flux, hungry for self-discovery and meaningful transformation. Sarkissian distills the fierce energies of an eclectic metropolis into tightly-woven pastiches, in which the street life of the downtrodden and behind-the-curtain abandon of bacchanalian beauties at turns collide and converge.
“Meeting and getting to know artists has been one of the greatest pleasures and inspirations for me in Armenia, and that certainly includes Arshak”, said Lonsdale. “It’s incredibly hard for artists to get shown in the UK, so it’s a real tribute to Arshak’s achievements and talent that he has secured this show at a very serious gallery in London. We wish Arshak enormous personal success with this show, but I hope it can also pave the way for other Armenian artists to become better known in the UK and to arouse interest in Armenia more generally.”
“It is an honor to receive the moral support of Ambassador Londsdale,” Sarkissian said. “Encouragement of this order means the world to an artist. I am profoundly moved by this gesture, and also very grateful to Albemarle Gallery for exhibiting my latest works.”
Michael Kimmelman in Armenia for the Grand Opening of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts
The Grand Opening of the Cafesjian Center for Arts is honored to show hospitality to the lead art critic of the New York Times. Mr. Michael Kimmelman is visiting Armenia to take part in a number of special events, including the Grand Opening of the Center on November 8th, 2009. Kimmelman will deliver a lecture on his book nominated for Pulitzer Prize, The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa. After the lecture the guests will take part in the book signing ceremony that will lead a wonderful and unique opportunity to meet the author of the book.
As Kimmelman mentions, “Good art is generous. It’s about encouraging people to look more closely at what’s around them.”
The introductory part of the book tells about the studies of the author how “…art provides us with clues about how to live our own life more fully. Put differently, this book is, in part, about how creating, collecting, and even just appreciating art can make living a daily masterpiece.”
One can also find discussions on such well-known artists as Bonnard, Vermur, de Kooning, and Duchamp, it also includes a chapter about Bonnard, Vermur, de Kooning, and Duchamp, the book also includes a chapter about Dr. Hugh Hicks who runs a private museum from his basement showcasing his collection of over 75,000 light bulbs.
The leader art critic Michael Kimmelman was born in Greenwich Village, New York. Attending Yale College he did his graduate work in Art History at Harvard University. Now Kimmelman has moved to Berlin as he works on his Abroad column for the Times on culture and society across Europe.
Those who wish to be present in these unique lecture can reserve tickets by phone at (374 10) 54 19 32 or e-mail (info@cmf.am). You can also purchase tickets in the Visitor Center on the day of the event. The book can be purchased at the Museum Store.
The Cafesjian Center for the Arts reminds the public that its Grand Opening Celebration will begin on the evening of Saturday, November 7th with a spectacular fireworks display near the Cascade monument. Taking over seven years to complete, the Cascade has been completely transformed into one of the world’s outstanding contemporary art centers. On Sunday, November 8th, the Center invites the public to view all the renovations that have taken place inside the Cascade and to enjoy an outstanding schedule of exhibitions, visiting lecturers, book-signings, concerts and events. For a detailed schedule of events, please visit our website at www.cmf.am.
A journey toward the Mais Mkhitaryan’s wonderland
Posted by angela in Mais Mkhitaryan on November 4, 2009
Mais Mkhitaryan is a contemporary artist who represents centuries-old traditions and customs of Armenian art flavored with classic elements. His painting is multifaceted world hidden in his canvases, where each image has its own mystery, where each image tells an unparalleled story, a tale the artist wishes to share with anyone prepared to venture out into a relationship with the past.
The artist’s paintings live in one’s own imagination, and engage in a straight and ongoing dialogue. A celebration of heart and soul, a magic that comes true, enchanting colors, dreams that come to life in canvas, dreams that are exciting, intriguing, thrilling– this is all about Mais’ art.
The artist’s perception of colors is strong and amazing. It strikes the human 
imagination and is imprinted on the sub-consciousness. The painter selects seemly unmatched colors, which in his hands turn out harmonic, spectacular and turbulent. Red has an exclusive place in Mais’ art.
Mais’ paintings are like a journey toward the wonderland. He brings to the universe his gift of the unbelievably wonderful, the nonexistent exquisite – which is missing but needs to be there.
To make his imagination deeper Mais often tries to remember the very beginning of his existence, he is trying to remember what he was doing in his mother’s womb. While creating the artist’s memories, imagination and feelings become one and fly taking the artist to the past, present and future at the same time. Even music is present and it helps. Mais paints with what he bares inside – love, hope…
There always exists something invisible and that’s the point, that’s what makes world mysterious and gives the power to be unique.
As the artist puts it, “I’m thankful to God for he trusted me the responsibility to be an artist and he believed I would carry it with dignity.” This is the mission of the artist. This is what the artist strives for – to be sincere, to be dignified.
Do you want to fly?
Posted by mariam in ani rashoyan, news on November 3, 2009
Very young, very talented, full of energy, charged with positive emotions, with enthusiasm and believing that any man has the right to be free – that’s how one can give the portrait of Armenian contemporary artist Ani Rashoyan, as most people call her RashAn.
Look at this poster? Does it inspire and prompt you to fly?
You want these emotions to follow you all day long…? I have some other suggestion. Take it out with you on your bag and let it inspire you and be stimulus of good mood.
Hang this poster on the wall of your bedroom and let it bring the atmosphere of freedom to the favorite corner in your house.
The skyscrapers, the girl her hair spread and her hands wide open create the effect of height, of endless feeling of being free, irrespective of any conditionality. Gently chosen color combinations will undoubtedly make you relax and feel at ease.
Wonderful diptych from Hasmik Avetisyan
Posted by angela in Hasmik Avetisyan on October 30, 2009
Can you imagine day and night at the same time? :) We can :)
This wonderful diptych from talented Armenian painter Hasmik Avetisyan adds bright colors of shiny day and mystery of dark night to your interior.
Night
Night i
s a magic picture that conveys the enigma of night. The picture is filled with positive emotions and charges. This is a unique approach to imagining and painting night, a time that allows to dream and fly in imagination. Together with Daytime it makes a wonderful diptych telling how deep the artist’s imagination can go.
Daytime
Daytime is a picture filled with positi
ve emotions and cha
rges. This is a unique approach to imagining and painting day, the beginning of life, existence. Together with Night it makes a wonderful diptych telling how deep the artist’s imagination can go.
Cafesjian center for the Arts welcomes
Thanks to the Armenian-American businessman and philanthropist Gerard Cafesjian and the Cafesjian center for the Arts, the former Soviet monument in the center of Yerevan, Cascade has been renovated and will now be open to the public as one of the world’s prominent contemporary art centers.
The monument occupies 13,000 square meters including a Visitor Center, Museum Store, Special Events Auditorium and an exhibition hall occupying 1,100 square meters’ space.
The Cafesjian Sculpture garden adds a unique harmony to the monument. It is located at the base of the Cascade demonstrating one of the world’s most amazing collections of monumental sculpture.
Such world known designers as Fernando Botero, Lynn Chadwick, Jaume Plensa, and Barry Flanagan have taken the responsibility of designing the garden’s unhampered walkways, long vistas, and formal paintings.
Works by an international array of glass artists, including Czech artist Jaromir Rybak, the Japanese artist Tadashi Sumi, and the Swedish artist Bertil Vallien will be demonstrated. The exhibition will also include Mr. Cafesjian’s comprehensive collection of contemporary art.
The lovers of Arshil Gorky art are welcomed to admire the demonstration of works of the hero of Abstract Expressionism , as an art critic once called Arshil Gorky. 7 paintings and 16 drawings are exhibited from L. Cafesjian’s Collection of Arshil Gorky paintings.
On view is an eclectic collection ranking from a 28-foot model of a ship on board which Mr. Cafesjian served in the Pacific during World War II, to a unique model N Ford Runabout and a working model of Wabash steam locomotive.
A hall titled Yesterday and Today represents 50 photographs of George Harrison, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, and Pattie Boyd herself. The famous New York architectural studio Diller Scofidio+Renfo exhibits Swarovski “Light Socks”
The Center’s full-blooded exhibition schedule contains a distinct program of visiting lecturers, classic films, concerts and various educational programs, specially for adults and children.
This wonderful and unique event will be open to the public Saturday evening, November 7th and will be accompanied by an impressive firework just near the Cascade monument at 10:30 pm. On Sunday, November 8th Armenians and guests from different parts of the world are welcomed to admire the renovation that has taken place inside the Cascade and also to admire exhibitions, lectures, book-signing and events. On this and only on this day The Cafesjian Center of the Artists will be free to the public.
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