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Interview with Mr. Hagop Havatian on the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society

 

Managing Director of Hamazkayin, “Vahe Sethian” Publishing House and “Lucy Tutunjian” Art Gallery

We understand that your gallery is a branch of a large cultural society, can you tell us about the history of your society?

The core of Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society began to form following the repression and violence against the Armenian people starting in the early 1900’s. The Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman and Turkish authorities in 1915, the collapse of the First Republic of Armenia in 1918, and the Soviet persecutions that followed caused the scattering of Armenians.

During this turmoil, a group of nine intellectuals, among whom were writer and educator Levon Shant, historian and critic Nigol Aghpalian, the former educational and cultural minister of the Republic of Armenia, Hamo Ohanjanian as well as stage director and art critic Kasbar Ipegian founded the Hamazkayin Publishing and Cultural Association in Cairo, on May 28, 1928.

Some of these intellectuals came to Lebanon and set the cornerstone of the society in Beirut. Seeing that a society’s culture should be imbibed from early youth, Hamazkayin established Djemaran School Zouqaq el Blat. Through the years, this school contributed to the Armenian culture through its education. We are proud of many of our graduates, who grew up to be people of influence in their field of specialty, and contributors to the Armenian society.

After the school was established, the society sought further cultural development through building a publishing house and printing press in Zouqaq el Blat. Books of all sorts (school books, art books, books about the Armenian cause, etc.) were written and published, which helped us anchor the Armenian language and provide our children with education. After the Lebanese Civil war, the printing press was moved to Borj Hammoud, and we are still pursuing its development through printing various books for Armenian authors from around the world.

Since our society has spread through the Armenian Diaspora in seventeen countries around the world and Armenia, we elect the “central committee of Hamazkayin” every 4 years to back up Hamazkayin’s development plans and take responsibility of all our activities. Since its establishment, Hamazkayin has assisted the branching of the society into various cultural and education centers, from schools, to art centers, to theaters, etc, targeting children and adults and thus elaborating cultural awareness and identity in the coming generations.

When was the gallery established?

Following one of the Committee’s meetings, we saw that a gallery would compliment the publishing house’s support of literature and art. The Hamazkayin gallery opened in November 2009, aiming to promote the works of artists with different backgrounds and styles, and be an engaging meeting place for art lovers.

As a new but continuously growing cultural center, the gallery also intends to build on the multifold and multifarious activities of the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society. The objectives of the gallery are to:

- “Enliven the Lebanese-Armenian community through new and diverse cultural activities.

- Promote high-quality artistic creations in the community, Lebanon, and the world.

- Organize exhibitions of the works of artists with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds

- Promote the works of promising young artists in Lebanon and abroad.

- Acquaint the public in Lebanon with successful painters, photographers, sculptures, and other artists from Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora

- Increase awareness among the Lebanese people about the rich heritage and legacy of the Armenian culture

- Become a center for cultural and literary meetings and discussions, by organizing books presentations and other cultural events.”

What are the conceptual and media criteria for the artists that participate in the exhibitions?

Any artist who wishes to display their work in Hamazkayin gallery has to send a portfolio and CV to the committee, which goes through the artist’s work and evaluates it using specific criteria that define the work’s quality. As for the media, we are open to painting, photography, sculpture. We also support book signings, and the launching of musical albums and short movies.

What are your plans for future development?

We are very pleased with what we have accomplished since the establishment of the gallery. We are proud to say that we have been able to accomplish our goals, and make them a reality.

How do you describe the Armenian artists today? How do you interact with them?

Many Lebanese Armenian artists were recognized internationally. On a wider scale, I consider that many Armenian artists are known today for their work in Lebanon. They contribute to the development of the arts on the Lebanese and Armenian level.

How do you describe the maintenance of the Armenian society’s culture nowadays?

Although it has many benefits, globalization challenges a nation’s cultural development nowadays. Despite that, we are working on maintaining the culture and education of Armenians. Hamazkayin will continue, as much as possible, to contribute to the nation’s arts and to be a bridge between Armenia and Diaspora to encourage art and professionals.

We would like to thank all our sponsors especially the gallery’s sponsors Mr. and Mrs. Garbis and Lucy Tutunjian and the sponsor of the newly established library Mr. and Mrs. Hovig and Maral Kurkjian and other donors who with their contributions, we can proceed with our publishing and other cultural projects.

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