EXTENSION.AM: GEOGRAPHICAL EXPERIENCE

April 10 — April 22, 2018
Triumph Gallery

Triumph gallery presents EXTENSION. AM: Geographical Experience is an exhibition including work of eighteen contemporary artists from Armenia. The exhibition is the new installment of the EXTENSION series that showcases current art scenes from different countries. Project EXTENSION. AM: Geographical Experience is supported by Tatevik Karapetyan, the patron of arts, who is also the first vice-president at the Tashir Group.

First contemporary art exhibitions in Armenia have been held in the 1980s during "perestroika". Even behind the "iron curtain", such movements got into and taken root in Armenia as transavantgarde, pop art and abstractionism; they later affected the beginnings of the art process in the country. In the 1990s, the conditions for art became more favorable in Armenia. Emerging the art market, new educational and creative institutions have been actively promoted by the government and international expatriate community. The powerful intensity of this process manifested in establishment of the Gyumri Biennal of Contemporary Art in 1998 — the first exhibition of its class in any of the former Soviet Republics.

The Green
2015
Oil on canvas
120 × 97 cm

First contemporary art exhibitions in Armenia have been held in the 1980s during "perestroika". Even behind the "iron curtain", such movements got into and taken root in Armenia as transavantgarde, pop art and abstractionism; they later affected the beginnings of the art process in the country. In the 1990s, the conditions for art became more favorable in Armenia. Emerging the art market, new educational and creative institutions have been actively promoted by the government and international expatriate community. The powerful intensity of this process manifested in establishment of the Gyumri Biennal of Contemporary Art in 1998 — the first exhibition of its class in any of the former Soviet Republics.

These developments indicated that Armenian artists have recently focused on their own culture, history, daily life and have been addressing crucial social and political issues more and more. Following this logic, EXTENSION. AM: Geographical Experience has invited only the artists who live and work in Armenia, despite the fact that the number of the Armenian Diaspora globally exceeds the population of the country almost threefold.

Natural Words
2008
Oil on canvas
173 × 200 cm

These developments indicated that Armenian artists have recently focused on their own culture, history, daily life and have been addressing crucial social and political issues more and more. Following this logic, EXTENSION. AM: Geographical Experience has invited only the artists who live and work in Armenia, despite the fact that the number of the Armenian Diaspora globally exceeds the population of the country almost threefold.

curators
Kristina Romanova
Eva Khachatryan

artists
Sona Abgaryan
Vahram Aghasyan
Arevik Arevshatyan
Diana Hakobyan
Vahagn Hamalbashyan
Edgar Amroyan
Karen Barseghyan
Arman Grigoryan
Ruben Grigoryan
Garik Yengibaryan
David Kareyan
Astghik Melkonyan
Hamlet Hovsepyan
Karen Ohanyan
Arthur Sarkissian
Manan Torosyan
Grigor Khachatryan
Tigran Khachatryan

Art Lover
2016
Oil on canvas
160 × 200 cm

curators
Kristina Romanova
Eva Khachatryan

artists
Sona Abgaryan
Vahram Aghasyan
Arevik Arevshatyan
Diana Hakobyan
Vahagn Hamalbashyan
Edgar Amroyan
Karen Barseghyan
Arman Grigoryan
Ruben Grigoryan
Garik Yengibaryan
David Kareyan
Astghik Melkonyan
Hamlet Hovsepyan
Karen Ohanyan
Arthur Sarkissian
Manan Torosyan
Grigor Khachatryan
Tigran Khachatryan