"Response after 100 Years" program carried out with VivaCell-MTS support

On the occasion of the Armenian Genocide centennial, the Charents Museum of Literature and Arts has organized the “Response after 100 Years” project with the support of the RA Ministry of Culture and VivaCell-MTS.

The project is related to the letters and other documents proving the fact of the Armenian Genocide which were written in the period from 1894 to 1923 and were left unanswered.

A press conference was held at Yeghishe Charents Museum of Literature and Arts, summing up the results of the contest of paintings, graphic works and sculptures. The press-conference hosted the RA Deputy Minister of Culture Nerses Ter-Vardanyan, director of the Charents Museum of Literature and Arts Karo Vardanyan, VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian, responsible person of the competition, art critic Armen Gasparyan, the coordinator of “Response after 100 Years” project Hasmik Hakhverdyan and the acting director of the National Gallery of Arts Anush Hakobyan.

“The “Response after 100 years” project is an effective means of presenting the demand of the Armenians through the medium of art. The reflection of the Genocide in works of art is a decent way of making our claim heard by the world and commemorating the one and a half million victims of the Genocide. The claim to recognize the Armenian Genocide is addressed not only to Turkey but to the whole civilized world. By not remembering, not voicing and not demanding condemnation we will lose our identity, will betray ourselves and will also be dishonest towards the nations which became victims of genocide or are under the threat of being annihilated,” VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian commented.

Till June 1, 2015, two sub-projects will be realized in the frames of the program that will result in the publication of the illustrated book “Answer after 100 years”. The sub-projects include:

1.    Selection of 11 letters proving the fact of the Armenian Genocide, which were written in the period from 1894 to 1923. The selected letters will be sent to famous figures in Armenia and outside the country; their responses will be collected.
2.    A contest of paintings, graphic works and sculptures on the themes of 11 documents, proving the fact of the Armenian Genocide, with the purpose of organizing a thematic exhibition at the National Gallery of Arts of Armenia.
3.
The final stage of the contest took place on February 24-25; 12 members of the professional committee visited in turn the closed contest-exhibition at the Charents Museum of Literature and Arts and gave their professional evaluation of the works. This is a new attitude which will allow the committee members to avoid getting affected by each other’s opinion.

The best 20 works presented at this stage of the contest will be included in the illustrated book “Response after 100 Years”. At least 11 of the works created exclusively on the basis of the provided documents will be displayed at the National Gallery of Armenia at the “Answer after 100 years” exhibition which will include also works on the theme of the Armenian Genocide created by the representatives of the older generation. One of the works participating in the contest – Narek Knyazyan’s sculpture “The Last One” received a “Special” status. The author will be awarded by the RA Ministry of Culture and VivaCell-MTS.