Once an important centre for culture and art in the Caucasus, the Armenian city of Gyumri was devastated by an earthquake in 1988 that took 30,000 lives. Founded in Armenia in 1997 as an NGO, the Gyumri Centre of Contemporary Art (GCCA) strives to cultivate contemporary art experiences in Armenia, involving Armenian artists and the international community.

For the past six years, it has organized the only consistent International Biennial of Contemporary Art of any CIS country, in Gyumri, and also produces a Biennial Catalogue, the contemporary magazine ArtToday, and several art events around the Biennial. The Gyumri International Biennial of Contemporary Art works through process, exchange, education and continuous activity to deliver a unique experience of the Armenian landscape, history and context, as well as opportunities for artists and curatorial exchange. Equally important is the emphasis placed on educational and participative work with Gyumri’s inhabitants.

Main Objectives

• Contribute to the development of Armenian contemporary art and to maintain the quality of the artistic production at an international level,
• Promote a healthy and creative environment in the city and region after the inertia of the soviet period when local and international communication and information were greatly lacking,
• Facilitate cultural exchanges and dialogue between Armenia and the international artistic community,
• Overcome the trauma and chaos of the post earthquake situation,
• Support and develop new creative initiatives, particularly of young artists,
• Encourage the development of contemporary Armenian culture by the decentralisation of art life from Yerevan,
• Help restore Gyumri to the influential cultural city it once was and to establish it as a regional contemporary art centre.

Sarkis 2004 - GCCA collection

Mission

To achieve these objectives, the GCCA has founded an international biennial of contemporary art, organises exhibitions, events, conferences, symposiums and educational programs, publishes the catalogues of the biennials as well as an art magazine and collects contemporary art, with the following mission:

• Open contemporary art to a wider public to overcome the inferiority complex, result of the ghetto situation of a provincial town with little contact with the outside world,
• Put in contact, coordinate and support creative exchanges between local, Armenian diaspora and international artists,
• Help resolve conflict and stress in the region using non-traditional methods,
  Provide a databank of Armenian contemporary art,
• Facilitate the participation of Armenian artists in international programs and events.

Relevance of Gyumri

Gyumri is particularly significant because:

• The city of Gyumri was devastated by an earthquake in 1988, that took 30,000 lives by official records and left thousands homeless. Gyumri is in the process of rebuilding and is in need for international attention and support.
• Any and all funding for the contemporary arts and cultural activity is focused on the capital city, Yerevan, Gyumri was once the centre of cultural activity in Armenia, and historically played this role in the Caucasus region.

Geographically, Gyumri is at a central point in respect to neighbouring countries.

Selected Events

Beyond the biennials, the GCCA participated and organizes various events:

1997 : “Expedition 101”, prototype for the first biennial, Gyumri, Armenia.
1999 : Armenian group of artists, Art expedition on Mount Aragats.
2000 : Armenian artists group exhibition, Stil Gallery, Gyumri, Armenia.
2000 : participation of Gyumri artists in 12th “Festival Est-Ouest”, Die, France.
2001 : participation of Armenian artists in “Table”, international art project, Bristol, UK.
2001 : participation of Gyumri artists in “Towers”, international art project, presented at Moscow international Forum of art initiatives, Russia.
2001 : participation of Gyumri artists in “international land art symposium”, Pereslavl Zalesski, Russia.
2001 : participation of Gyumri artists in exhibition of contemporary Armenian art, Museum of Modern Art, Tehran, Iran.
2002 : Markos Grigorian, Armenian American artist, exhibition, Old Gallery, Tbilissi, Georgia.
2002/03 : presentation of Gyumri biennial, art symposium, Santander, Canary Islands, Spain.
2005 : participation of Armenian artists/curators, Joint information and partnership development seminar, County Donegal, Ireland.
2005 : “Armenian Lessons”, exhibition organised by CONCHA & GCCA at the Artcore gallery in Paris.
2005 : Armenian artists’ exhibition, Basement gallery, Vienna, Austria.
2005 : Gyumri artists’s exhibition, Lev Kopeliev forum, Cologne, Germany.
2005 : participation of Armenian artists in Shiryaevo 4th international biennial of contemporary art, Shiryaevo/Samara, Russia.
2005 : coordination meeting with Arnolfini Art Centre, Bristol, UK.
2005 : coordination meeting with CONCHA & Festival Est-Ouest, Die, France.
2005 : presentation of Gyumri biennial at Art Caucasus, Tbilissi, Georgia.
1997/2005 : support of Gyumri artists for participation in over 30 Armenian and international art events (exhibitions, symposiums, concerts, performances, lectures,…) in Gyumri (Still Gallery, Ethnographic Museum, Fine Arts Institute) and Yerevan (Hay Art cultural centre, Armenian Centre of Contemporary and Experimental Art, Modern Art Museum, House of Artists). Kunsthalle Wien, projest space with presentation of the Gyumri Biennale.

Support and collaboration

Armenia: United Nations Development Programme, British Council, Open Society Institute, British, French, Italian and USA Embassies, Foreign Affairs Ministry, International Centre for Human Development, Ararat Cognac Factory, Tufenkian Foundation, City of Gyumri,
Cyprus: Faros Trust Cultural Foundation,
Switzerland: Ghukasiants Brothers Foundation, Hakob D. Topalian Foundation,
UK: Spike Island art centre, Braziers workshop.

Partnerships

Gyumri: Stil Gallery, National Museum of Architecture and Urban Life, Fine Arts Institute, Shirak TV, Shant TV.

Yerevan: Museum of Art and Literature, Near East Museum, Hay Art cultural centre, Armenian Centre of Contemporary and Experimental Art, Modern Art Museum.

France: Apollonia art exchanges, Festival Est-Ouest de Die, Galerie Artcore (Paris).

Germany: Lev Kopeliev forum in Cologne.

Georgia: Old Gallery, Tbilissi.

Switzerland : Concha NGO.