Yerevan to host first ever Armenian International Photography Festival

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YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS. The 1st Armenian International Photography Festival will be inaugurated August 26 in Yerevan, with photographers from 20 countries including Japan, Denmark, Italy, France, Russia, Switzerland, USA, United Arab Emirates and elsewhere participating.

The festival’s steering committee chair Tatev Mnatsakanyan said at a press conference that pictures will be displayed in 39 different locations across Yerevan – ranging from the Zvartnots International Airport up to the Presidential Residence.

“Pictures will be displayed also at the Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum, two stations of Yerevan subway and a number of other locations,” she said, highlighting the festival’s significance in terms of tourism.

Photolur agency Director Melik Baghdasaryan noted that as a photographer he is very interested in the upcoming event.

“Indeed, Armenia has a good history of photography, however it hasn’t been promoted and covered. This kind of events will contribute for our society to be able to get to now the Armenian photography history better,” he said.

ARMENPRESS News Agency Director Aram Ananyan emphasized that the newly created festival will have its unique place on the global photo festival map.

“When we speak about Armenian historic photography we see the stories of dynasties. The several decades-old archive of ARMENPRESS keeps the works of the Baghdasaryans themselves and many others, which we have digitized and published at history.armenpress.am,” Ananyan said.

ARMENPRESS will participate in the festival with three exhibitions, and jointly with Converse Bank and Hovhannes Tumanyan Museum the “Hovhannes Tumanyan’s Retrospect” event will be organized in honor of the poet’s 150th anniversary of birth.

“The same retrospect will also take place regarding Komitas. We will organize exhibitions of also individual photographers in various platforms. One of our international partners, the National News Agency of Belarus, will have its individual exhibition dedicated to ceremony and tradition,” Ananyan said.

The festival will be inaugurated on August 26 and is organized under the auspices of the Yerevan City Hall.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan