Under the initiative of the “Dialogue of Cultures”, in 2016, a photo exhibit entitled “Shadows of Time” will be opened in the city of Überlingen, Germany. Prominent photographer Gagik Harutyunyan’s works of the last three decades of the 20th century will be presented. Director of “Lusadaran” Armenian Photography Foundation, Vigen Galstyan, said that the exhibition will display Gagik Harutyunyan’s creative path starting from the early 1970s until the late 1990s. In total, 190 works will be displayed. An illustrated book will also be published, which will involve 230 works. “The choice was quite complex because the photographer’s archive is huge, – said V. Galstyan, – and taking a large-scale exhibition abroad is not easy. Later, in October, he will organize a display at the Union of Artists of Armenia, and I hope that we will present Gagik Harutyunyan’s works in a complete view.”
As described by V. Galstyan, G. Harutyunyan both as a documentary photographer and as an important representative of Armenian artistic photography has depicted the complex and multifaceted way through which our people have gone in the 70s up to the end of the 90s. “He has created numerous series dedicated to Karabakh, our independence, the Armenian rural and traditional life … All of this appears in his photos in a very unique and holistic way. There are such pictures through which both we and the people living in other countries make a whole idea about Armenia. The pain is that in the early 2000s, Harutyunyan had destroyed a part of his published photographs. And when I finally managed to establish contact with the photographer, these works were already gone,” said V. Galstyan.
Aravot.am asked him whether he is aware of why the photographer has destroyed them, V. Galstyan said that this question will be addressed only during the exhibition. “It was the photographer’s independent decision that he must destroy them. At times, this happens. Unfortunately, there was quite a big loss, but, fortunately, the negatives are preserved, and these photographs can be reproduced in their full look. Is has been four years since the “Lusadaran” and the “Dialogue of Cultures” Funds are working in this direction,” added V. Galstyan.
Incidentally, in the interview with Aravot.am, he also mentioned that Gagik Harutyunyan has been the only photographer in the Soviet times who has traveled to abroad. “He was in Belgium, Denmark, France and several other countries where he had made extensive series of works. He was also in Africa, where he organized an exhibition of his Armenian works, and when he returned to Yerevan, he organized an extensive exhibition dedicated to Africa. I hope that this series will be totally exhibited again,” said V. Galstyan.
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Siranush HAYRAPETYAN
