The city:
Yerevan, the capital of the Republic of Armenia, is one of the oldest cities in the world and offers a unique panorama of tradition and modernity in terms of both urban planning and culture. Yerevan is a university city and, with around 1.2 million inhabitants, the cultural and artistic centre of the country. The city has much to offer that is unseen, surprising and enriching, particularly in terms of its cultural and historical treasures as well as its pronounced love of art - which was also maintained under different conditions during the Soviet era - especially when it comes to understanding artistic practice and identity. During the Soviet occupation, the Armenian art scene was always forced to seek its own ways and solutions in order to preserve a certain degree of Armenian independence in art. As in other countries in the South Caucasus, the Armenian art scene has been buzzing for a few years now. While artistic training and art history studies today are still characterised by the offshoots of the Soviet education system, a younger generation of artists is searching for a new understanding of art that is contemporary - and yet can retain its historical, geographical and discursive uniqueness. Practically the entire art scene sees itself in a role of political opposition to state institutions, but at the same time it does not simply want to import Western forms of organisation and concepts of art as quickly as possible. Rather, the aim is to create new spaces for art as well as adequate forms of networking - also in exchange with foreign artists.

Studio/Apartment:
The artists live for three months in a residential studio in the heart of Yerevan and have the opportunity to spend two to three months in Marcel Mayer's print studio in Bjurakan in the countryside (approx. 30 minutes by car from Yerevan), where they can work on prints, but also on land art, installations and community work. Yerevan is cheap and easy to reach by taxi from Bjurakan. The contrast between life in the city and in the countryside is remarkable, but can be very inspiring artistically. The studio in Yerevan is located on Baghramyan Avenue, the city's main street, from where it is only a 10-minute walk to the city centre. Public transport and the metro are nearby. There is a park in front of the studio where concerts take place and the cultural life in this area is very lively.

Requirements:
A stay in Yerevan requires cultural openness and an interest in encountering a lively art scene that functions according to its own laws and criteria. The studio in the city offers good conditions for own research, inspiration and artistic-intercultural exchange. A studio in the countryside requires independence and openness to encounters with people who do not come from an artistic background.

Adress:
Baghramyan Avenue, Yerevan, Armenien
Instagram: byurart_cultural_ngo

Partner organisation:
Stiftung KulturDialog Armenien, Mashtots Ave. 16, 0002 Yerevan, Armenia
www.kulturdialog.org info@kulturdialog.org

https://www.facebook.com/KulturDialog-Armenien-411660985619528

Local contact person: Sona Hovsepyan, Tel: +374 93 22 16 66
info@kulturdialog.org