YEREVAN, AUGUST 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The 5th Gyumri Biennial of Modern Art taken place on August 2-16, according to the organizers, is first of all important for the fact that the cultural life centrilized in Yerevan moved to Gyumri for some time. The biennial organizers made such a statement at the August 24 press conference. "Gyumri, having great cultural traditions, seems to remain out of the cultural life, to be out of the margin. In this sense, the biennial is an important and great cultural event in the city life," Arpine Tokmajian, the organizer of the biennial mentioned. The Gyumri biennial has been held since 1998. Its co-founders are Arpine Tokmajian and Azat Sargsian. The biennial was financed by different sponsors, including by the state, in different years. The Open Society Institute, the British Council, "Zigzag," "Counsul" and "Ararat" (brandy factory) companies were among sponsors of this year. 102 artists from 19 countries participated in the biennial this year. 51 of them were Armenians. The 5th biennial entitled "Sea, Dreams and Illusions" started on the Sevan lakeside where participants had possibility to create in a corresponding environment. As a result of contact of Armenian and foreign artists, a series of joint works was created which were then exhibited in 6 exhibition halls of Gyumri, with works brought to Armenia beforehand. Mkrtich Tonoyan, for the "From Sea to Sea Armenian Theory" performance, got during the press conference the monitary prize fixed for Armenian artists by the Swiss "Gonche" organizatiion. "The performance is about discrepancy of Armenia, from sea to sea, of which I have dreamed, and our life," the author of the work consisting of two parts (a video and installation) says.

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