Artworks by Armenian artists at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts.

The Cafesjian Center for the Arts (CCA) is dedicated to bringing the best of contemporary art to Armenia and presenting the best of Armenian culture to the world. Armenian modern and contemporary art has always been a special focus of CCA’s exhibition programming. It is hard to define the historic logic of contemporary art in Armenia and how autonomous art developed there after the collapse of USSR. The development of the modern art scene in Armenia in the mid-1900s was also extraordinary, considering the Soviet reality. It is captivating to follow the Armenian modern and contemporary art through exhibitions at CCA. This illustrated lecture will present the historical context and particular features of Armenian art in the 20th - 21st centuries and how a private institution filled the gap of its display in Armenia.

Artworks by Armenian artists at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts.

Dr Armen Yesayants is an art historian, curator and lecturer based in Yerevan. Working at the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, he has been the director of exhibitions there since 2016. He has curated or participated in the organisation of over thirty exhibitions and has written extensively on Armenian art. His professional interests include modern and contemporary Armenian art. He has attended workshops and courses at Whitechapel Gallery and Tate Modern. In 2019 Yesayants graduated from King’s College London with an MA degree in Arts and Cultural Management.

Admission: £5 to include a wine and refreshments reception.