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07/29/2005
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1) Lithuanians Speak out against Turkey in EU
2) Kocharian Demands Increased Vigilance from Armenia’s Tax Authorities
3) Armenian Genocide Issue Raised Again by Uruguay Parliament
4) Politics of Protection: Group urges review of ‘cultural genocide’ during
Turkey’s EU Aspirations
5) ANCA-WR Pre-Banquet Kick-off Event Sets Precedent
6) “Macho Bullshit” Comes to Black Maria Gallery
7) Holy Martyrs Ferrahian School’s Annual Banquet Huge Success
8) AYF Youth Corps Volunteers Arrive in Armenia
9) Critics’ Forum
1) Lithuanians Speak out against Turkey in EU
VILNIUS (The Baltic Times)–A crowd of Lithuanians gathered outside Parliament
on Wednesday to speak out against Turkey’s possible membership in the European
Union. Participants, many of whom are supporters of Voice of Europe, an
emerging non-governmental organization (NGO) formed to unite efforts against
Turkey’s membership, are calling on Brussels not to open talks with Ankara.
Vilius Alisauskas, coordinator of Voice for Europe in Lithuania, told the
Baltic News Service that the current wave of protest against Turkey’s
membership, launched in Budapest in mid-July, will visit several largest
European cities in two weeks.
Participants in the action will seek to draw the attention of the public,
politicians, and media representatives to problems that Turkey’s full-fledged
membership in the EU would cause.
Alisauskas said that participants in the Vilnius demonstration maintain the
position that Turkey is “alien” for Europe because of the political system,
religion, the human rights situation and the geographical situation.
“Turkey is not a democratic country. It has serious problems with its
neighbors
and ethnic minorities, does not promote human rights and freedoms, does not
preserve the European culture and values, furthermore, from the geographical
point of view, Turkey is not in Europe,” he said.
“Turkey has nothing in common with Europe. Algeria is not far as well, so
let’s
maybe admit it as well,” he added.
In his words, participants believe that the EU can cooperate with Turkey
without granting the latter full membership.
During the international initiative Voice for Europe, European people will be
urged to sign a petition against Turkey’s membership in the EU.
International initiative Voice for Europe actions are organized in July in
Slovakia, France, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Great Britain, the
Netherlands,
Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany.
Turkey, which has a population of 70 million, mostly Muslims, has been seeking
EU membership since 1963. If Turkey joined the EU, it would be the largest EU
member in terms of its area and population.
EU accession negotiations with Turkey will start on October 3.
2) Kocharian Demands Increased Vigilance from Armenia’s Tax Authorities
YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–President Robert Kocharian told Armenia’s tax authorities on
Friday to do more to tackle corporate tax evasion which he said remains
commonplace due to government corruption and favoritism.
Meeting with senior officials from the State Taxation Service (STS), Kocharian
said their declared fight against the informal sector of the economy still
leaves much to be desired despite a 24 percent rise in the government’s tax
revenues registered during the first half of this year.
“I don’t think that your determination to act in this direction can be
considered satisfactory today,” he said in comments released by the
presidential press service. “The results are not bad, but they are far from
being satisfactory.”
Armenia’s public spending is projected to grow by 25 percent to 394.6 billion
drams ($885 million) this year. The STS and the State Customs Committee are on
track to ensure a corresponding increase in the budgetary revenues.
But according to Kocharian, that does not mean that there have been
fundamental
improvements in tax administration. He said that it is still not “civilized”
and that research conducted by the presidential Oversight Service found that a
large part of economic activity in Armenia remains untaxed.
The Armenian leader singled out the construction sector which, according to
official statistics, has expanded by over 40 percent in the first half of
2005.
He complained that taxes paid by the construction firms rose only by 13
percent.
“Our main enemies are favoritism and clan-style practices,” Kocharian said,
echoing his comments made at a similar meeting with the STS management last
January. The high-profile meeting marked the beginning of the ongoing
crackdown
on tax fraud.
Some businessmen say the crackdown has mainly targeted small and medium-sized
companies that are not owned by government-connected individuals.
The STS chief, Felix Tsolakian, admitted on Friday that corruption and
conflicts of interest among his employees are a major problem. Tsolakian said
about 200 of them have been found to be “directly or indirectly involved in
business.” He said the STS will investigate business ties of officials at
other
government agencies.
3) Armenian Genocide Issue Raised Again by Uruguay Parliament
MONTEVIDEO (Armenpress)–Turkey’s ambassador to Uruguay Siakri Tafan met with
members of a Uruguayan parliamentary commission on foreign relations,
prompting
a demonstration by the Armenian National Committee and other Armenian
organizations.
Around 100 Armenians with flags and posters staged a two-hour protest against
the ambassador, who came to parliament to establish an Armenian-Turkish
commission on the issue of the Armenian genocide.
The meeting focused on a letter to President Robert Kocharian, sent
approximately two months ago, by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
suggesting
an international commission of historians meet to “examine the mass slaughter
of Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman Empire.”
Tafan asked Uruguay to join such a commission, mentioning that his government
was ready to accept guilt–if the commission found the evidence irrefutable.
After the meeting, parliament members Lillian Kechijian and Jaime Trobo told
Komitas radio, an Armenian radio station based in Montevideo, that it was the
first time a Turkish diplomat has requested a meeting concerning the Armenian
genocide. Kechijian added that she could participate in the would-be
commission’s work, but as an Armenian she could not question the fact of the
genocide. Additionally, she stressed that the parliament of Uruguay is likely
to make a statement addressed to both Turkish and Armenian parliaments.
Armenia’s ambassador to Uruguay Ara Aivazian has asked for a meeting with the
commission prior to any public statements. His request has been accepted,
though details are not yet available.
4) Politics of Protection: Group urges review of ‘cultural genocide’ during
Turkey’s EU Aspirations
(ArmeniaNow)–While the European Union considers Turkey’s application for
membership, some Armenians are using the time of intense inspection to rally
their cause against what they call “cultural genocide.”
Earlier this month, a group of Armenian intelligentsia met in Yerevan to
discuss ways to bring attention to the destruction of Armenian architecture on
Turkish soil.
Armen Hakhnazaryan, who has founded an organization for studying Armenian
architecture 35 years ago in Germany, says they have struggled for recognition
of the Genocide by Germany, but the German Bundestag adopted the resolution
condemning the events of 1915 only now that EU membership is being
considered.
“We should use the moment,” Hakhnazaryan said. “The facts we presented about
the cultural genocide to the members of parliament and various parties
played a
big role.” He added that though they were aware of the facts, “from the point
of view of politics today, they are afraid of the 70 million population
entering Europe.”
“During the last several years, the term ‘cultural cannibalism’ is
used…meaning
a nation not only exterminates the other’s values but also expropriates,” said
head of Turkic Department of Oriental Studies Institute of the National
Academy
of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan.
He also presented the legal bases of the question that can be used by Armenia
to raise the question of responsibility of Turkey before international
instances.
The policy of Turkey may be condemned by the 1923 Lausanne Treaty, 1972
European Union World Culture and Natural Heritage Agreement, and 1992
Agreement
on Preservation of Architectural Heritage; the first of which committed Turkey
to preservation of monuments of the Christian minority living on its
territory.
A resolution on the Armenian genocide by the Council of Europe in 1987 can
also
be helpful to Armenia in this matter, according to which the European
community
demands Turkey to respect and preserve the historical monuments of the
Armenian
nation. The extermination of Armenian monuments in Turkey began with the
Armenian genocide and continues up to now.
If in the 1920s, there were more than 900 Armenian churches in Turkey, by
1974–according to data publicized by UNESCO–more than the half of them had
been destroyed; 212 ruined and 197 needed urgent reconstruction.
“I was heavily impressed with the Urfa Cathedral that was used in 1915 to burn
3,000 Armenians alive and that has turned into fire depot after the
creation of
the Turkish republic,” informed Safrastyan.
Safrastyan and others also claim that monuments have been ruined by
“excavations” in search of buried gold.
5) ANCA-WR Pre-Banquet Kick-off Event Sets Precedent
–Mrs. Ashkhen Pilavjian and Mr. & Mrs. Khatchig Mouradian Top Donor List
GLENDALE–Community leaders, organizational representatives, activists, and
benefactors were among over 100 people in attendance at the 2005 Armenian
National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR) pre-Banquet kick-off
event held at the home of Ara and Sandy Bedrosian on July 22. The kick-off
event nearly sold out the banquet, with close to 500 tickets sold and over
$200,000 raised prior to the banquet on September 18.
Mr. & Mrs. Bedrosian welcomed the guests to their home and highlighted the
ANCA-WR’s accomplishments. They initiated the fundraising event by pledging a
$5,000 table on behalf of their family and an additional $5,000 table on
behalf
of Sandy Bedrosian’s parents, Mr. & Mrs. Antranik Kassabian.
Mr. & Mrs. Khatchig Mouradian set precedent by announcing that they will
underwrite the entire cost of the banquet by pledging an amount of
$40,000–allowing for all the banquet proceeds to support the ANCA-WR’s
programs and activities. Speaking about the generous offer, ANCA-WR Chairman
Steve Dadaian remarked, `The Mouradians’ generosity is matched only by their
unparalleled patriotism and dedication to the Armenian Cause. I salute their
leadership and solidarity with the ANCA.’
Also among the top donors at the banquet kick-off event was philanthropist and
long-time ANCA-WR supporter Mrs. Ashkhen Pilavjian, with a generous pledge of
$20,000, among the largest donations ever received by the ANCA-WR. This was
followed by longtime ANCA-WR sponsor, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Melkonian, who
pledged
to donate $15,000, Mr. and Mrs. Sarkis Sepetjian with their $10,000 pledge,
and
Mr. Berdj Shahbazian who pledged $5,000.
`The ANCA-WR has for decades earned the trust of the community,’ commented
Dadaian. `Our organization’s track-record of achievements over the past year
speaks for itself. Whether we are educating Members of Congress in Washington,
legislators in Sacramento or working with our 17 local ANC chapters to expand
awareness of the Armenian genocide, the ANCA-WR is always there for our
community,’ added Dadaian.
Banquet Committee Chairwoman Aida Dimejian updated the attendees on the
details
of the annual gala, which will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood.
The banquet, Dimejian explained, has become a marquee event, drawing the
attendance of prominent national, state and local public officials and
activists.
Over 600 people are expected to attend this year’s ANCA-WR Annual Banquet.
Due
to limited space, the event is expected to sell-out in a matter of days. Those
interested in attending the banquet may contact the ANCA-WR office at (818)
500-1918 to reserve a table.
6) “Macho Bullshit” Comes to Black Maria Gallery
LOS ANGELES–A new exhibition, “Macho Bullshit,” will make its debut at the
Black Maria Gallery, reflecting issues of contemporary male identity.
Commenting on the theme of the exhibition, Black Maria Gallery owner Zara
Zeitountsian said, “In our time, and especially since the sexual revolution of
the 60s, masculinity as both social role and frame of mind has become
increasingly problematic.”
“While boys and men are still led to believe in notions of gender-based
entitlement and invincibility, the realities of our world have long
overshadowed such beliefs, with women continuing to gain in economic and
political power,” she added.
Sam Saghatelian, Black Maria curator, said: “Many men today are stuck in a
referential no-man’s-land, quietly nursing an identity crisis yet unable to
ultimately overcome a traditional macho mindset. Should they remain steeped in
anachronistic male behavioral patterns, or should they get with the program of
radically transformed inter-gender relations? `Macho Bullshit’ is an
exploration of that particular disconnect.”
According to Saghatelian, the exhibition as a whole will underscore the
tragicomic nature of what he terms the macho ethos. “A bona fide macho can be
offensive and comical in equal measure,” he explained. “There is also
something
pitiful, even endearing, in the way a typical macho man interacts with others.
Our exhibition will be a no-holds-barred look at the phenomenon, with
plenty of
commentary on the irony and nuances of the macho way of being, and also the
inner conflict of not being able to deal with fast-evolving gender roles and
societal values.”
“Macho Bullshit,” featuring new and recent works by seven artists, will kick
off on Saturday, July 23, at 7 PM, and will remain open until August 27.
Artists participating in the exhibition are: Thomas Lee Bakofsky, Gary Garay,
Jack Howe, Dave Leamon, Sam Saghatelian, Gary Garay, Gin Stevens, and Chris
Ryniak.
Black Maria is located at 3137 Glendale Boulevard in Atwater Village. Gallery
hours are Tuesday through Saturday: 11.00 to 6.00 PM, or by appointment. For
more information, call (323) 660-9393, (818) 613-9090.
7) Holy Martyrs Ferrahian School’s Annual Banquet Huge Success
–Ashken Pilavjian Donates $200,000 for Holy Martyrs ARS Ashken Pilavjian
Preschool
BEVERLY HILLS–Over 400 guests gathered for the annual banquet of Holy Martyrs
Armenian Elementary & Ferrahian High School and Holy Martyrs ARS Ashken
Pilavjian Preschool on June 17, at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
This year, more than $400,000 was raised to help fund tuition scholarships and
school improvements, including the remodeling of the preschool thanks to Mrs.
Pilavjian’s generous donation.
His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian presided over the evening’s
ceremonies, and was joined by representatives of the Board of Prelacy, ARF
Central Committee, Board of Regents, Holy Martyrs Board of Trustees,
Homenetmen, and the Armenian Relief Society.
Finance Committee member Carlo Ghailian greeted the crowd, after which alumni
from each decade were honored for their continued higher education and
successes in their careers. The honorees included, Peter Akaragian from the
1960’s, Seta Aghjayan from the 1970’s, Sahag Majarian II, Esq. from the
1980’s,
and Mampre Pomakian, Esq. from the 1990’s.
After remarks by Finance Committee Chairman Arto Atmadjian and school
Principal
John Kossakian, recognition awards were given to long time counselor Sosi
Hovsepian and food services director Vicken Guleserian. The committee also
conveyed its appreciation to Mr. & Mrs. Khatchig Mouradian, who have
consistently supported the community and the school.
The attendees were particularly inspired by a special video presentation
outlining the school’s programs and vision for the growing preschool, as well
as interviews with students expressing their appreciation and connection to
the
school and teachers.
Archbishop Mardirossian stressed the importance of Ferrahian’s role in the
cultural and educational development of the youth, and encouraged all those in
attendance to support the school’s future endeavors both spiritually and
financially.
Finance Committee member Ara Bedrosian, a 1993 graduate of Holy Martyrs
Ferrahian School, closed the evening’s official program by touching on the
accomplishments of the school and the integral role it plays in the
enhancement
of cultural value and the education of a new generation of Armenian American
leaders. “When we hear the name Ferrahian, we think of academic excellence, we
think of cultural pride, tradition, progress and enlightenment. Ferrahian is
the oldest Armenian daily school in the United States and today its alumni are
lawyers, judges, physicians, engineers, builders of nations, and the pride of
their communities,” said Bedrosian.
The Finance Committee continuously seeks contributions for the tuition
scholarship fund and future improvement of the school. Those interested in
making donations should contact the Finance Committee at 5300 White Oak
Avenue,
Encino 91316 or at (818) 784 6228.
8) AYF Youth Corps Volunteers Arrive in Armenia
GLENDALE–The 2005 AYF Youth Corps participants arrived in Armenia on Tuesday,
July 12, to build a youth center that will serve the city of Vayk and the
nearby villages.
The participants, who will stay in Armenia and Artsakh for nearly a month,
will
mark the first time the Youth Corps program works to build a youth center.
The group members will also have the opportunity to meet with government
officials, local ARF representatives, and AYF members. They will also spend
their weekends sightseeing in Armenia and Artsakh.
The participants of the 2005 Youth Corps program come from areas including San
Francisco, Fresno, and Glendale.
The AYF Youth Corps program, founded in 1994, has sent over 110 Armenian youth
to Artsakh and Armenia to assist in the rebuilding efforts of various Armenian
structures such as schools, centers, churches, and youth camps. This year
marks
the 11th anniversary of the AYF Youth Corps program.
9) Critics’ Forum
Visual Arts
Lara Minassian: Contemporary Armenian Artist
By Adriana Tchalian
Painter Lara Minassian is set to showcase her work this coming week at Harvest
Gallery in Glendale, California. Minassian’s work will appear alongside the
sculptures of her mother, Diana Minassian, for the first time. The exhibition,
entitled Sinuous Parallels, will run from August 5-13, with a special artists’
reception on Friday, August 5, from 6 to 10 p.m.
Lara Minassian has been practicing her craft for a number of years. She began
her career while earning her Bachelor of Arts at California State University,
Northridge, with an emphasis in drawing and painting. In 1991, she was awarded
the University’s Arts Council Scholarship and then went on to receive the
Studio Channel Islands Arts Center’s Saul Bernstein Scholarship in 2002. She
studied there with retired Professor Saul Bernstein, whose influence is felt
throughout her work. She went on to earn a Masters in Fine Arts from Claremont
University, with an emphasis in painting.
Minassian’s work has been exhibited numerous times. A partial list of the
exhibitions would include `Supersonic’–Wind Tunnel, Art Center of Design,
Pasadena, California (2004), `Kaleido-gestures’ at Claremont Graduate
University (2003), and `Gallery 825′ in Los Angeles, California (2000).
Minassian’s paintings can best be described as spontaneous outbursts of
movement and energy. Minassian herself has described her work as the pictorial
equivalent `of figures being transformed into abstractions.’ She believes that
`things at rest lack the validity and vitality of objects in motion.’
This notion of `objects in motion’ bears a resemblance to the
mid-twentieth-century movement known as Abstract Expressionism, and especially
to the work of one of its foremost practitioners, Lee Krasner. Krasner (who
was
once married to Jackson Pollock) regarded painting as one of the purest
form of
self expression. Her difficult, abstract images are a result of what she
considered a kind of automatism, which she defined as the spontaneous
production of painting without conscious control or self-censorship.
Minassian’s improvisational style is likewise impulsive and uncontrived,
though
without Krasner’s heavy brush strokes. Minassian’s paintings therefore lack
the
customary psychological anger and agitation found in much of contemporary art,
coming across instead as poised and self-possessed.
Minassian utilizes a cool palate of blues, indigos and violets to create her
signature rhythms and movements. These high-frequency colors impart an almost
scientific quality to her work. According to Minassian, science and technology
offer a constant source of inspiration. Minassian has said that she is
`inspired by contemporary technology’ and that `virtual reality informs’ her
work. According to Minassian, `in the same way that digital software organizes
space by mapping a form’s points of movement, I model gestures and specific
phenomena.’
There is an inherent stillness and tranquility about Minassian’s work. Even
her
more turbulent compositions, such as Maelstrom and Vortex II, exude a certain
calm and serenityall the movement and uproar is somehow hemmed in by the
balanced composition. The result is a simplicity and composure not found in
much of contemporary art.
Some of Minassian’s paintings bear a distant resemblance to a mandala, the
Hindu or Buddhist symbol of the universe, evoking images of the sacred, the
transcendental. Stylistically, her distinctive brushstrokes and arabesque
curves may even remind the viewer of Zen brush painting, Hindu text, or Arabic
script. Could she have also been inspired by Armenian illuminated
manuscripts?
Much of contemporary art, it seems, revolves around gimmicks and trends.
Minassian’s work offers a refuge from the banality of present-day art and
culture. It touches on some important (and much-forgotten) aspects of fine art
and reminds us that there is room for the craft of art. It reminds us as well
of the intriguing possibility that beyond the banal lies the sacred, which has
long gone missing from contemporary art.
For more information about the upcoming exhibit, contact Harvest Gallery at
818-546-1000. The Gallery is located at 938 N. Brand Boulevard in Glendale.
Adriana Tchalian holds a Masters in Art History and has managed several art
galleries in Los Angeles. You can reach her or any of the other
contributors to
Critics’ Forum at [email protected].
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