Fall of Civilization or New Quality of Thinking

FALL OF CIVILIZATION OR NEW QUALITY OF THINKING

Azg/arm
31 March 05

“At the Crossroad of Civilizations” exhibition of Kamo Mkrtchian’s works
opened recently. The painter has represented the history of the human society
within the framework of one project that dwells on the world’s civilizations,
different ideologies in the labyrinth of the evolution.

The painter has represented a retrospective view of the humanity, beginning
from the philosophy of the ancient times, from the times of Aristo and Plato,
passing to the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The artist showed the struggle
between different ideologies during the long lasting human evolution, touching
upon the spiritual-religious themes and tendencies, the values of Buddhism and
Christianity, as well as the aesthetical directions of the early XX century,
i.e. the works of Dali, Picasso and others. Kamo Mkrtchian also representedthe
World Wars I and II, the Armenian self-defending struggle, the Armenian
Genocide, Ararat and the Armenian, the Armenian Causeâ=80¦

– What do the contemporary people search in the crossroad of civilizations?
What is the meaning of your project?

– I want to find ways for developing the civilization, for improving our
life, for increasing the value of a human being.

– What can we do to achieve these goals?

– We should pay attention to today’s problems, including the human rights
protection and the protection of our nations’ rights.

– Here, on the floor you have written the names of the world’s greatest
thinkers and artist, do we step on them or we pass them by?

– This mechanism is a very simple one. It means whether we are able to makea
new step in the civilization denying the past, the celebrities and their
thoughts and create something quite new in the culture.

– Is your project connected with the past or it denies that by remembering
names and events?

– I have preserved the relations with the past by taking the ideas of the
French thinkers of the Enlightenment as basic ones for my system that is aimed to
create a perfect world.

Kamo Mkrtchian’s project gives many opportunities for the views to think and
unfold discussion around the issues put forward.

By Melania Badalian