YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 2, ARMENPRESS. The 14th Istanbul Biennial revealed today full details of the Armenian programme in SALTWATER: A Theory of Thought Forms (5 September – 1 November 2015), presented with the support of Dilijan Art Initiative, which is part of the IDeA (Initiatives for Development of Armenia) Charitable Foundation. "Armenpress" was informed about the aforementioned from the press service of the IDeA. 

Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev said: “The year 2015 marks one century on from what Armenians first called ՄեծԵղեռն (MedzYeghern – "Great Crime") to define the brutal cleansing of their people in the late Ottoman Empire, an event that has traditionally been associated with the year 1915. It is thus crucial that an exhibition of contemporary art in Turkey focuses on the Armenian question, through both historical works of art and contemporary projects. In the 14th Istanbul Biennial, this is not expressed curatorially through any national pavilion, nor an “Armenian” section of the exhibition, but through a strong participation of individual artists and specific artworks that echo this history, interwoven into the texture of the whole exhibition.”

Bringing together artists who are creating works and conducting research related to Armenian history and trauma in contemporary Turkey, the Armenian programme features established and emerging artists from the Armenian Diaspora, such as Arshile Gorky and Paul Guiragossian, together with non-Armenian artists from across the world, whose work obliquely emerges from a reflection or experience of this history, its aftermath and its present.

The artists’ work will not be located in a single venue, but will be dispersed along the Bosphorus, in spaces ranging from the Istanbul Modern to the new Hrant Dink Foundation and a former tobacco warehouse. Artists in the Armenian programme include: Vernon Ah Kee, Haig Aivazian, Sonia Balassanian, Anna Boghiguian, Kristina Buch, Hera Büyüktasçıyan, Rene Gabri and Ayreen Anastas, Arshile Gorky, Paul Guiragossian, Michael Rakowitz, and Sarkis.

Veronika Zonabend, Founder, Dilijan Art Initiative, said: “The Armenian programme in the Istanbul Biennial offers a framework for artistic activity to explore and creatively work through issues of historical and political trauma, towards healing and reconciliation, and a path to a brighter future. Dilijan Art Initiative believes that contemporary art has invaluable educational potential for creating cross-cultural understanding, which is why we are delighted to support such a remarkable project.”

Dilijan Art Initiative was founded by the philanthropists Veronika Zonabend and Ruben Vardanyan as part of the IDeA (Initiatives for Development of Armenia) Charitable Foundation, which aims to create a framework for the development of the city of Dilijan and Armenia as a whole. The project was launched in the belief that art has a unique galvanizing capacity across cultures, disciplines, generations and genders, transcending time and space. It works to promote Armenian culture internationally, providing support for the presentation of work by artists from the Armenian Diaspora in the world’s leading exhibitions and major cultural events. Dilijan Art Initiative supported Armenity/Hayoutioun; the National Pavilion of the Republic of Armenia at the 56th Venice Biennial, which was awarded the Golden Lion.

The entrepreneur and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan and his wife, Veronika Zonabend, established the charitable foundation Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) to support global education, social entrepreneurship, territory development and philanthropy in Armenia by investing in long-term initiatives that can become self-sustaining and produce tangible social and economic impacts. It unites like-minded people, friends, business associates, experts, and benefactors in various countries who share the common aim of helping Armenia progress from survival to prosperity.

One of IDeA’s key projects and main strands of activity is the Dilijan Art Initiative, launching in 2016, which focuses on the cultural development of the city of Dilijan, located on the ancient silk route connecting Europe, the Middle East and Russia. With a rich history as a popular resort, renowned for its natural beauty and long favoured by artists, composers, and filmmakers, Dilijan has significant potential to become a major cultural, educational, and resort hub in the Caucasus region.