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A contemporary art center is planned for the border village of Shvanidzor in Armenia’s Syunik Province, as part of an initiative to decentralize cultural life and preserve the area through art and culture. The project also aims to create jobs for local residents.
The project was submitted to the Government of the Republic of Armenia in 2023 by the Foundation KulturDialog Armenien and was approved.
In an interview with Armenpress as part of its podcast series, Sona Harutyunyan, art historian and founding president of the foundation, spoke about the initiative and the contemporary art festival already underway in Shvanidzor.
Armenpress: I would ask you to tell us a little more about the project. How did the idea come about? What priorities underpin the project?
Sona Harutyunyan: Thank you for focusing on this project, because it is important not only for people who create and work in the arts, but also for the Republic of Armenia.
In the course of our work, we established that artistic and cultural life is highly concentrated in the capital. We wanted to contribute, to the extent of our capabilities, to the decentralization of the arts.
As a result of the events known to everyone, Syunik Province was at risk, particularly after 2023. Therefore, we wanted to implement our initiative in one of the province’s border villages so that we could preserve and strengthen that area through art and culture.
We chose the village of Shvanidzor. It is very well known for its various historical and cultural monuments and is located on the banks of the Araks River. It seems as though you could reach out and touch the mountains of Iran.
We began preparatory work in 2023. Following meetings with the head of Shvanidzor and the mayor of Meghri, seven sites in Shvanidzor were made available to us for the implementation of the idea. These will serve as the starting structures for transforming the village itself into a contemporary art center.
Armenpress: Which sites are you referring to?
Sona Harutyunyan: One of these sites is the Shvanidzor House of Culture, which was a unique building during the Soviet era. The House of Culture shares one wall with a church.
During the Soviet years, a factory operated in Shvanidzor where special parts for helicopters were produced, without which Soviet helicopters could not operate. That factory will also become part of our initiative. It will be turned into a museum.
There are sites that are currently ruins, but two or three walls have been preserved. Each site will have its own function. Local residents will be involved at every site, and jobs are also being created for them through this program.
Armenpress: I would also ask you to speak about the “Shvanidzor: Contemporary Art Festival,” which has already begun.
Sona Harutyunyan: Seven artists from Yerevan have traveled to Shvanidzor as part of the festival. Two artists have arrived from Iceland specifically to participate in this festival.
These artists, both Armenian and foreign, are holding workshops in Shvanidzor. Various panel discussions are also being organized, the topics of which are particularly focused on the decentralization of culture and creating a place in Syunik Province where artists from all regions can gather every year.
Armenpress: Have the residents of Shvanidzor welcomed the festival enthusiastically? Is there active participation?
Sona Harutyunyan: When we first went to Meghri and then to Shvanidzor, people were skeptical, because many people go there, say something, and then leave. People are left waiting for a project, and when they saw that we were not simply talking but were also taking practical steps, their enthusiasm was great.
I cannot describe in words that enthusiasm and the extent of people’s involvement.