Gyumri Art Week 2026 Explores 'City and Time' with International Artists
From August 7 to 20, 2026, the 5th Gyumri Art Week took place in Gyumri and Yerevan, Armenia, emphasizing themes of urban spaces and the passage of time. Sargis Hovhannisyan directed the event, with curatorial contributions from Viktoria Ilyushkina, Gor Margaryan, Jan-Niklas Thape, Nazaret Karoyan, and Vahagn Ghukasyan. The festival featured a variety of activities, including exhibitions, studio tours, presentations, and concerts. The opening event at the Gyumri Technology Center showcased works by artists such as Johannes Gierlinger, Amy Kong, and Kenji Ouellet. Highlighted artworks included Gierlinger’s 'Jede Epoche träumt von der nächsten,' Ouellet’s 'I am One' and 'V,' along with Hübner’s 'Eva – We are also what we are not.' Additionally, 'The Memory of Stones' by Nvart Dalian and public art installations by Mkrtich Matevosyan and Mary Moon were presented. Theoretical discussions were grounded in Henri Lefebvre's concept of the 'Right to the City.'
Key facts
- The 5th Gyumri Art Week took place from August 7 to 20, 2026, in Gyumri and Yerevan, Armenia.
- Artistic direction by Sargis Hovhannisyan; curators included Viktoria Ilyushkina, Gor Margaryan, Jan-Niklas Thape, Nazaret Karoyan, and Vahagn Ghukasyan.
- Opening exhibition at Gyumri Technology Center featured video and film works by 11 artists including Johannes Gierlinger, Kenji Ouellet, and Regina Hübner.
- Johannes Gierlinger's film 'Jede Epoche träumt von der nächsten' (2025) explores urban transformation in Tirana.
- Kenji Ouellet presented two works: 'I am One' (2016) and 'V' (2017), examining individuality and nature.
- Regina Hübner's video 'Eva – We are also what we are not' (2022) was shown; she previously participated in Cyfest-16 in Yerevan in 2024.
- Nvart Dalian's exhibition 'The Memory of Stones' at Art Space Terian featured photographs of earthquake-damaged buildings in Gyumri.
- Mkrtich Matevosyan created a public sculpture adding a fictional 40th letter 'hebeh' to the Armenian alphabet.
- Mary Moon presented 'Constellation of Coexisting Realities' at the Berlin ART Hotel.
- A group exhibition 'The City and Time' at the Academy of Fine Arts of Gyumri featured thirteen Armenian artists.
- The festival's concept drew on Henri Lefebvre's 'Right to the City' and David Harvey's urban theories.
- The festival included 14 events, mostly in Gyumri, with some in Yerevan.
Entities
Artists
- Sargis Hovhannisyan
- Viktoria Ilyushkina
- Gor Margaryan
- Jan-Niklas Thape
- Nazaret Karoyan
- Vahagn Ghukasyan
- Johannes Gierlinger
- Amy Kong
- Kenji Ouellet
- Yulia Gadalova
- Yooyoung An
- Alexandra Litke
- Peter Maria Volkhardt
- Henrik Jansen
- Regina Hübner
- Carole Anais Flammang
- Katharina Sophia Hüttermann
- Nvart Dalian
- Mkrtich Matevosyan
- Mary Moon
- Aleksey Manukyan
- Henri Lefebvre
- David Harvey
- Sandro Botticelli
- Andrea del Verrocchio
- Lucas Cranach
- Bill Gates
- Karl Lagerfeld
- Simone de Beauvoir
- Alois Riegl
- Roland Barthes
- Vardan Mamikonyan
- Charles Aznavour
- Frunzik Mkrtchyan
- Tigran Hamasyan
Institutions
- Gyumri Art Week
- Gyumri Technology Center
- Art Space Terian
- Berlin ART Hotel
- Academy of Fine Arts of Gyumri
- Cyfest
- Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle
- MIT
- Kunstgalerie 25
Locations
- Gyumri
- Armenia
- Yerevan
- Shirak Province
- Saint Petersburg
- Russia
- Kiel
- Germany
- Münster
- Montreal
- Canada
- Tirana
- Albania
- Japan
- Iceland
- Rome
- Italy
- Vienna
- Austria
- Berlin
- Rustaveli Street
- Shiraz Street
- Haghtanak Park
- Haghtanaki Avenue
- Ankakhutyan Square