ARTINERARY

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.

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?

There is nothing like thoughts of war to make one appreciate the extraordinary privilege of getting out on a sunny October weekend and being presented with an infinite array of cultural events in a bustling town like Yerevan. If the past few years have taught us anything, it is not to take these vital pleasures for granted. Tomorrow we may easily be denied that opportunity.

Have you had your "I look so exalted" selfie with Anahit's head yet? No? Well, there is still plenty of time. And despite its lack of world-famous masterpieces, our local institutions and art spaces will continue to strive for more Instagram-worthy backdrops. However, there might also be the occasional show, or a lecture that may provoke you to momentarily forget your phone.

Blockbuster exhibitions are not a common sight in Armenia, where museums are yet to shake off the Soviet-era frame as "fort-keeps" or "temples" of national culture. However, the next two weeks on the ARTINERARY digest juxtapose the “traditional” with the “wildly provocative,” the “surreal” and also the “experimental” on Armenia’s art scene.

Each season has its "black holes" and the end of August is notorious for its atmosphere of melancholic ennui as we reluctantly bid goodbye to long summer days, holidays and sweaty armpits. However, this is just a minor breather before Yerevan and the rest of the country gear up for the fall season's cultural whirlwind.

As far as cultural events are concerned, August is generally considered to be the “dead” month of the year. But if you're stuck in Yerevan and the soul does want to escape somewhere else, even for just an hour or so, then some of those events might just prove to be the ticket.

With the Golden Apricot Film Festival behind us, many in Yerevan might have a case of a cultural overdose. But the capital's art pulse shows no sign of slowing down and the next two weeks are absolutely packed with events to either calm or rattle your jaded senses.

The cultural high point of the year is definitely peaking in the next couple of weeks with the opening of the 21st Golden Apricot International Film Festival with its usual roster of must-see films and... uhum... controversial guests. Finding the gems, or maybe the guilty pleasures in this whirlwind of activities can be a challenge, so hopefully this guide can be of some help.

Yerevan's social calendar is ramping up with a torrent of events that will immerse you in all sorts of art if you, well... let it. To help you navigate the vibrant art scene, we're putting together a short bi-weekly digest of the best that the capital has on offer for the art-going public and visitors.