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Crisis of Contemporary Art


What issues does the contemporary art attempts to solve, are these issues available to us? Is there any crisis in the contemporary art? How does the crisis of political thought impact on art? The topic is discussed by art critic Seda Shekoyan and artist Arman Grigoryan. The conversation is lead by Anna Sargsyan.
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Henrik Edoyan, Part 2 – Moving towards Balance


The culture of 20th century is described as a crisis culture. A culture that has lost its spiritual focus and is exhausted meaning-wise. According to culturologists, modern culture has been replaced by anti-culture, automatic thinking. Hayk Hambardzumyan is discussing the de-humanization of art, historical course of creation and distortion of the spiritual art, as well as the chances for restoration of balance, with the writer Henrik Edoyan.

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Hamlet Martirosyan


Following the “Daredevils of Sassoun” or “David of Sassoun” epic, the Armenian pictograms with 15-20 thousand years of history are planned to be inscribed next in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Hamlet Martirosyan has been doing a research of the pictograms for quite a long period. To the researcher, Armenian pictograms are a unique writing system and relate to other ancient writing systems – that of Egyptian and Sumerians. Hayk Hambardzumyan had a conversation with Hamlet Martirosyan referring to these and other related issues.

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Artyom Vardanyan and Mher Melkonyan


Artyom Vardanyan and Mher Melkonyan are friends for 30 years now. Artyom returned to Armenia after living in Netherlands for many years and fulfilled his old-time dream of establishing a zoo. His friendship with Mher, going back as far as their student years, has now turned into a family friendship – Artyom is the Godfather of Mher’s children.

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Gagik Ginosyan


Gagik Ginosyan, Artistic Director of Karin Folk Dance Ensemble, culture expert, is sure that only through self-cognition it will be possible to confront challenges of the present; that is what supports proper guidance and development. Most often it is the lack of self-cognition that promotes migration. During the conversation with Rev. Fr. Ruben Zargarian, the culture expert also addressed the importance of nurturing by the example of national heroes, the use and dissemination of folk dance.

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Henrik Edoyan


It’s growing more difficult
to write poetry
or live with eyes on the subtle ray of autumn,
or else on the open pages
of Gospel. It’s growing more difficult to walk
in a street with no friends or faces you know,
and every single word
and every silence
turns into an ill-omened
veil of oblivion…
Why does it become increasingly difficult to create, why does the perception of genuine poetry and art become difficult, why is a man getting further from literature, art and high values? Hayk Hambardzumyan talks with the writer Henrik Edoyan about the crisis of the human, poetry and reality.

Henri Verneuil


Henri Verneuil (Ashot Malakian) is familiar to Armenian audience by his film “Mayrig (Mother)”. In 2010 his family was in Armenia. Golden Apricot International Film Festival granted him posthumous award for his contribution to cinema. Patrick, son of Henri Verneuil, worked as an assistent in the film. “It was very difficult to work with my father”, - recalls Patrick. “Offscreen” tells about the house of Verneuil-Malakian and creation of the film “Mayrig”, there are exclusive shots from the film used in the TV program.

Vardan Achemian


Renowned theatre worker, director, National Artist of USSR Vardan Achemian contributed greatly to the history of Armenian theatre. Achemian studied in Russia guided by Stanislavski, Nemerovich-Danchenko. However, he returned to Armenia and became one of the founders of Drama Theatre of Leninakan... It is here that he staged his first plays with a splendid and accentuated style so typical for him – “At the Bottom”, “Honorable Beggars”, “Ara the Beautiful”, “Twelfth Night” etc. At the stage of Sundukyan Theatre, the works “Baghdasar Akhbar” and “My Heart is in the Highlands” were distinguished for their lucid artistic and psychological exposures. Students of the grand master share their memories offscreen.
Ruben Gevorgyants, RA National Artist, film director
Nikolay Tsaturyan, RA National Artist, producer
Jean Nshanian, artist
Vardan Achemian, RA Merited Worker of Art, composer
Levon Mutafian, RA Merited Worker of Art, theatre critic

 
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Tariel Hakobyan and Robert Matosyan


The friendship between Robert Matosyan, film critic, and Tariel Hakobyan, sculptor, started from 1960-s, while still being students. The dormitory of students is a unique environment, originating so many friendships to continue thereafter.... Today, Robert Matosyan is the editor-in-chief of "Film" magazine, and Tariel Hakobyan is a professor in the Academy of Fine Arts. Both are keen on transferring their experience and warmth to the younger generation...
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Narek Hartunian and Vahan Artsruni


The friendship between composer Vahan Artsruni and Narek Hartunian, founder of Narekatsi Art Union, is a road so simple, selfless, but sometimes full of barriers. A number of creations were born throughout that road, e.g. "Komitas: Ten Revelations", "Mashtots Sacred Pearls" by Vahan Artsruni... The main purpose of the friendship for two artsits is self-knowledge...

Candlemas Day (Tiarn'ndaraj)


The program presents the ethnographical grounds and meaning of the Candlemas Day. Participatants include Father Zakaria Baghumyan and ethnologist Gohar Stepanyan.
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Samvel Sevada, Babken Mkhitaryan


Painter Samvel Sevada and Babken Mkhitaryan, Director of Abovyan Musical School, are friends for three decades now, despite their likes and dislikes, and as they say jokingly, their age difference... They have a very useful and quite sustainable habit -- once a year they go somewhere out of the city and share who was 'offended' of what, leave all the negative energy behind and return. The camera of "Two Friends" TV series, this time has followed them...