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YEREVAN, APRIL 20, ARMENPRESS: The presentation of the Armenian culture abroad is one of the prior directions of the Armenian Culture Ministry. Armenpress news agency spoke with the head of the ministry’s contemporary art department Sona Harutyunyan about the steps that were carried out and will be carried out in this direction.
- One of the priorities the RA Government established for the Ministry of Culture is the presentation of Armenian culture abroad. In your opinion, do we manage to present our culture to the world appropriately?
- As to the steps we are going to undertake for presenting the Armenian culture to the world, I can say they are a lot. The opportunities for presenting the Armenian culture and the means must be reviewed, moreover, we need a clear program to present it outside of Armenia. The financial assistance for the conduction of the events in Armenia must be reduced and instead be directed toward the initiatives organized outside of the country. To make it possible to present Armenian culture abroad we must have a clear program and cultural policy. The circumstance that Armenian art figures must have an opportunity to be presented abroad is also very important. The best opportunity is created by fine art and music art as no additional forces must be applied to make them available. In this respect we have all the chances to enter the foreign stages and presented our fine art and music.
- What programs has the ministry worked out for the presentation of Armenian culture?
- I can say with delight that during this year a number of events will be organized in this direction. International conference on the contemporary art of Archile Gorky will be organized in Armenia within the framework of which Armenia will host a number of art figures. As part of the event exhibition will be conducted. That is to say foreign art figures will be in Armenia, will get acquainted with our culture and then in their countries they will host Armenian art figures. The next will be the opening of “Caucasian Paris” exhibition. We are closely cooperating with Georgia for its organization as we are going to present the Caucasian creams of art figures living in Paris. The exhibition will open in Armenia, then will move to Georgia. In 2012 it will also be in Paris.
Armenia’s participation in “Art Messe” art fair in Swiss town of Bazel is also expected.
- Another priority the government has established for the ministry is the equal development of culture in provinces. What steps does the ministry undertake in this direction?
- Like the presentation of the Armenian art abroad, the presentation of it in the Armenian provinces is one of our priorities. The ministry will seek the creation of international festival of caricatures and currently negotiations are in process for deciding the place of its conduction.
We attach great significance to the conduction of cultural programs in Meghri as it is the place which geographically ties Artsakh, Armenia and Iran and its location gives opportunity to the three states to joint and become a cultural center.