Et Cetera

As AI reshapes creativity and replaces human labor, much contemporary art feels stagnant—recycled, safe and system-bound. A revival, if it comes, will rise from urgent, crisis-driven contexts like Armenia, where meaning still demands to be made. In this edition of ARTINERARY, Vigen Galstyan spotlights exhibitions where artists confront technology, identity, and post-war trauma in works pulsing with transformative promise.

The "Women, Peace, Art" exhibition in Armenia showcased eight female artists addressing peace amid war's haunting memories. While ambitious, the exhibition struggled with essentialist portrayals of women, often reinforcing stereotypes instead of challenging them.

There is clearly something momentous in the air, and I don't mean the aroma of budding apricot trees, the unusual sight of Georgian soccer fans in Yerevan, yet another nasty virus wave, or the municipality's self-righteous campaign of tree annihilation. No, the explosive atmosphere stems from the looming, yet still unlikely “peace deal” with Azerbaijan, whose vague details alternatively suggest a potential new era of stability, or a horrific epilogue to a five-year chronicle of aggression and collective humiliation. Does the art scene reflect this sense of running on the knife's edge?

After a whirlwind year of cultural events in 2024, Armenia enters 2025 with renewed momentum. This edition of ARTINERARY, curated by Vigen Galstyan, highlights the first major exhibitions, festivals and concerts of the year, along with must-see December shows still on view.

As the world grapples with relentless upheaval and a growing sense of despair, the relevance of art has never been more urgent for even amidst destruction, art can illuminate pathways to renewal. By stepping outside the confines of our panic-ridden newsfeeds, we open ourselves to the transformative potential of creative expression. Art can help us confront the chaos while offering a vital escape—a momentary reprieve to reimagine what the future could hold.

Amid Yerevan’s chaotic development, grassroots initiatives led by local and diasporan architects are reimagining Armenia’s architectural landscape. By fostering dialogue and hands-on learning, they aim to rethink building practices and promote responsible, sustainable approaches to architecture.

The 8th Festival Week-end à l’Est celebrates contemporary Armenian art through a multidisciplinary program across six venues in Paris. Featuring renowned and emerging artists, the event explores themes of identity, displacement and cultural dialogue, bridging Armenia’s vibrant artistic scene with global audiences.

How "sacred" can culture get before it ossifies into an irrelevant artifact and at what point do our interventions with the relics of the past turn from living culture into an act of sacrilege? The only way to answer this question is to be open to and actively engaged with what the artists and art workers are doing at the moment. And right now, in Armenia, they are doing a hell of a lot worth thinking about.

With a spotlight on Sean Baker’s film "Anora" that won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year, Sona Karapoghosyan examines how evolving yet often reductive depictions in American cinema shape perceptions and cultural narratives about Armenians.

The wounds from the horrific 44 Day War and Artsakh's ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan are still raw. But one thing is clear: to break the vicious cycle eroding our foundations for over a century, we must embrace a path of collective reflection, healing and renewal. Could art—contemporary and historical—possibly show us the way?