An art exhibit featuring 20 Australian-Armenian painters and over 60 works opened in Shushi’s arts center on August 31, 2018, the Stepanakert newspaper Aparaj reports. The exhibit, titled Antradartz, premiered in Artsakh at the initiative of the Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Society Australia Region, with the support of Hamazkayin’s Artsakh office.
Members of the ARF Artsakh Central Committee and Artsakh Parliament member Armen Sarkisyan were present at the opening ceremony. Also present were guests from Australia, artists, and other invitees.
Shaké Vartanian, a painter who coordinated the exhibit, told Aparaj that they had to overcome many difficulties to bring the artwork to Armenia and exhibit it, but they did not hesitate to complete this patriotic act.
“Many of the artists have been unable to attend this exhibition, but having our works exhibited in the homeland is a point of pride for us diaspora Armenian artists,” Ms. Vartanian continued.
The exhibit was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Karabakh movement, the one-hundredth anniversary of first Armenian republic, the 2800th anniversary of Yerevan’s founding, and Hamazkayin’s 90th anniversary. It also marked the first time the Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Society Australia Region and Hamazkayin’s Artsakh office worked together.
“We intend to make this cooperation continuous and to organize such cultural initiatives again in future years,” said Hermine Avagyan, head of Hamazkayin’s Artsakh office.
The exhibit closed on September 4.