“Golden Lion” of the Venice Biennale – Armenia – BBC Russian

Alexander Kan columnist BBC Russian Service
Cultural Affairs

• 9 May 2015

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The curator of the Armenian pavilion Adelina von Furstenberg, Dzhuberyan with the “Golden Lion”

“Golden Lion” – the main prize of the Venice Biennale has received national pavilion of Armenia.

“In a symbolic Armenia, the year of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, the RA Ministry of Culture devotes a pavilion Armenian artists Diaspora “- a dedication from the government anticipates the Armenian pavilion.

It’s called Pavilion Armenity. anglicised word – derived from the French Arménité – the notion of designating children and grandchildren of survivors of the genocide. They were scattered, spread throughout the world. But they kept their involvement in the Armenian language, history, culture and traditions.

Armenian National Pavilion is located on the island of St. Lazarus Armenian or, as they call it the Venetians, San Lazzaro degli Armeni

Pavilion given the Armenian diaspora. Regardless of their place of birth, these artists are constantly exploring and rediscovering their armenity.

For Pavilion managed to find exceptional for its beauty and significance of the place – Armenian island of St. Lazarus, or, as they call it the Venetians, San Lazzaro degli Armeni – right in the Venetian lagoon, between the Giardini park, which contains the main pavilions of the Biennale, and Lido island.

And it is Armenian because in 1717 the Armenian Catholic monk Mkhitar Savostiysky founded the Mekhitarist Order.

The work of the Brazilian Armenian women Rosanna Palazyan called “The story that is impossible to forget …”

A century later, Lord Byron studied here the Armenian language and culture. And to this day, three centuries later, the monastery of San Lazzaro, its park, the museum and the library holds a unique cultural heritage of Armenia the people.

The curator of the pavilion Adelina von Furstenberg, Dzhuberyan – Swiss Armenian origin, with extensive experience of art and curatorial work. In her track record – exhibitions and performances by Andy Urohola, John Cage, Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, Marina Abramovich, Robert Wilson.

At the Venice Biennale in 1993, she was co-curator of Italian and Russian pavilions. Then imagined Russian Ilya Kabakov.

The first part of the triptych American Aram Dzhibilyana dedicated to Armenian-American artist Archil Gorki.

Among the artists whose works Adelina von Furstenberg, Dzhuberyan selected for the exhibition – the Armenians living in Lebanon, the United States, Canada, Egypt, France, Turkey, Iran, Greece.

In the work of each of them reflects the culture and traditions of not only Armenia, but also the country that has become their native home.

“Word Armenity seemed to me the most appropriate concept, with which you can describe the new generation of artists and intellectuals who are in constant motion, but at the same time retain their subjective personal vision of the world “- says Adelina von Furstenberg, Dzhuberyan.

The Armenian pavilion presented works of Armenian artists from around the world