In October, Shushi plans international festival of contemporary arts

On October 1-14, 2012, the city of Shushi will host the first Festival of Contemporary Arts "Earth and Technologies", which will be attended by 20 art historians from Armenia and Diaspora and accompanied by an exhibition of works of artists of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The initiator of the festival was the Association "Shushi Art Project". According to Lilit Sarkisyan, the coordinator of the Association, the programme will include such genres of contemporary arts like open-air performances, video art and land art.

The festival will screen the film by Susan Khardalyan "My Granny's Tattoos" and hold a roundtable of art experts. Upon completion of the project, the works will be exhibited at the Centre for Creative Technologies TUMO (Armenia).

Ms Sarkisyan has noted that the initiative is new both for Armenia, Shushi and the entire cultural sphere of Nagorno-Karabakh.

"The festival will be attended by about 20 art figures, all of which are Armenians by birth, but arriving from all over the world. In the presence of audience, during these few days they will speak in different parts of the city of Shushi. Karabakh artists will get a pavilion at their disposal for exhibiting their work. The festival is also held with the aim to meet people and establish contacts for future cooperation," said the coordinator.

All the works made by artists during these two weeks, according to their wish, can be donated to art galleries of Shushi.

The Nagorno-Karabakh authorities welcome the initiative of the artists. According to Narine Agabalyan, Minister of Culture and Youth Matters of Karabakh, the government is ready to support every project that will stimulate the development of arts in Nagorno-Karabakh and facilitate the development of the republic and the city of Shushi.