Interviews
The right questions—a world of answers
Photo credit: Norayr Kasper, "I Will Talk to You About Time." Fotoistanbul 2015.Join our community and receive regular updates!
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Interview | Varem-Marem: Revamping Gyumri’s Art Scene
The cultural capital of Armenia, Gyumri, is home to Varem-Marem, a tourist favorite spot, both a gift shop and an art studio. In this exclusive interview with h-pem, its founder Mikayel Vardparonyan shares the story of how Varem-Marem came to be, its collection of memories, and how a stray dog became the mascot of their store.
Discovering Garo Minassian: A photographer's exploration into fragility
What happens when two childhood friends turned photographers meet to discuss their art?
“Ten photographs, ten questions, very epigrammatic!” is the real deal as h-pem contributor Harout Dedeyan puts it.
“Sure, we’ve frequently discussed photography, something he’s very passionate about, but I was unaware of his ultimate goal,” reflects Dedeyan before he starts his interview with Paris-based photographer Garo Minassian.
When we learned that an h-pem fan was mesmerized by Minassian’s works, we asked Dedeyan, whose photographic series of “Art on Architecture” is showcased on our platform, whether he would like to interview him.
Dedeyan graciously volunteered! His sharp eye for visual detail and effective writing style provide a unique perspective into Minassian’s work.
Check out the frank and energetic interview below...
Minas Lourian: A guru-like cross-cultural expert from Venice who makes it all happen!
“To have great art, we must commission it! In order to commission it, we must have great commissioners!” If there is one person in the Armenian world who could be credited with turning Frank O'Hara’s famous words into action, it’s Minas Lourian, who serves as director of the Center for Studies and Documentation of Armenian Culture in Venice, Italy.
Lourian was the catalyst behind Riccardo Muti’s recent “Roads of Friendship” concert in Armenia for the premiere of “Purgatory,” a commissioned piece by Tigran Mansurian. The maestro and his wife Cristina received the presidential Medal of Friendship, while Lourian was awarded with the Medal of Gratitude for their “significant role in the strengthening and promoting of cultural relationships between Armenia and Italy.”
H-pem sat down for an exclusive Skype interview to get valuable insights from the unconventional cross-cultural executive who has a deep knowledge of the Armenian-Italian community and a whole raft of stunning achievements under his belt.
'Fantastic Komitas': TmbaTa’s musical rite of passage with Arik Grigoryan
Changing patterns in the transmission of folk music couldn’t have been more exciting. By breaking away from pedagogical conventions of formal music education, TmbaTa, the folk-rock orchestra at TUMO, is on a “quest to find the source of the Armenian spirit.” The eleven-member strong band has shaped a modern concept of Armenian music that stemmed from past centuries. One could call it the "new folk music" with influences from diverse musical experiences and a variety of instrumental combinations. How did it all come about? We set down for an exclusive interview with Arik Grigoryan, the man who made it happen!
Posthumous vibes: The sun and hope of Harutyun Topikyan’s eternal love
More than 40 days ago, on this day, amid the chaos of COVID-19 and the existential battles on various fronts in Artsakh, one of the titanic figures of Armenian choral music, Maestro Harutyun Topikyan, the artistic director and conductor of the Yerevan Chamber Choir succumbed to the vicious virus, months after candidly exposing his unwavering love for Komitas Vardapet in a candid interview with h-pem contributor Gohar Topchyan.
For those who need it: A brief introduction to Deradoorian
In 2014, when Martin Scorsese introduced a digitally enhanced version of Sergei Parajanov’s “The Color of Pomegranates” in Toronto, he prompted the audience that they would be participating in a screen experience “pretty much unlike anything in cinema history,” as articulated by The Guardian later that year. This description may be more than a fair introduction to the musical catalog of Angel Deradoorian.
Art, activism, and Armenia: Serj Tankian speaks candidly in h-pem exclusive
In this exclusive interview, Serj Tankian speaks candidly with h-pem editor Rupen Janbazian about everything from the Armenian community's reactions to System of a Down's early days to his move to New Zealand, his years of activism, and his lifelong love for Armenian culture.
‘What Will Become of Us’: Doc about Armenian-Americans asks candid questions and tells remarkable stories
“What Will Become of Us” is a deeply personal film, which follows the lives of 10 Armenian-Americans, all of whom have been impacted by the Armenian Genocide. We recently discussed the film with director Stephanie Ayanian (co-directed with Joe Myers) in this h-pem exclusive.
‘The Serpent and the Crane’: A different kind of animal(s) for raising genocide awareness
Throughout the past century, many artists, poets, and musicians have tackled the topic of the Armenian Genocide. Multidisciplinary writer and musician Alan Semerdjian and guitarist Aram Bajakian’s recent project, “The Serpent and the Crane,” processes trauma in a new light, while raising global awareness. Featuring artwork by Kevork Mourad (whom Semerdjian calls “a true visionary”) the spoken word album has achieved much praise and acclaim in the two months since its release. We had a chance to chat with Semerdjian about the record. Check it out below!