It was exactly ten years ago when Ovsanna Shekoyan received a President Youth Prize, and her series of paintings called “School” was already quite popular and valued among the public.
“There were many talented artists among the Jury Board that year. If I am not mistaken among them were Arevik Arevshatyan, Ararat Sargsyan and Arman Grigoryan. Recapping that now I feel proud that it was the given Jury Board that selected me to be awarded the prize”.
Ovsanna does not have a Soviet past and has never warn a red ribbon, and there was no way that she could have met her father Armen Shekoyan and his friends during their teen ages… As she explains, it was her family albums that fed her imagination, while now “There are no longer family albums, they are replaced by Instagram or TikTok. Today any event in our lives or any photos immediately appear in social media channels and get archived and those archives are open to everyone. Well, while one thing loses its intimacy, it is no longer of any interest to the art”.
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Prior to graduating from the Art Department of the Academy of Fine Arts, Ovsanna, aged 19, had her exhibition in NPAK (ACCEA) and the following year 2010 turned quite successful for her. Participation in “Toy for Spare Time” and “Spied Armenia” exhibition held at NPAK were followed by the President Prize. According to the artist, another period resembling that one can be considered 2016-2017.
“During that period thanks to Berlinale Talents Short Film Station platform, I developed the screenplay for the short film called “Twist” and as a result the film received a development grant at another German festival. If not this support, I would have never made the film then”.
Has painter Ovsanna Shekoyan switched from short films to films after the several films she has had?
“A transition as such, has not occurred in fact. To me the most important things are the topic and issues that are being addressed, rather than media, be it a film or a painting. There have not been such division abroad. I do not think that Dali has astonished the audience when making a film with Buñuel (wrote the script) or designing a logo for Chupa Chups. These are in fact natural and most frequently necessary transitions. Andy Warhol has directed over one hundred narrative films, while there are over five hundred video arts. David Lynch’s paintings are no less genius that his films. Similarly, my paintings rely a lot on photography, and they have never been so called “sterile” as such. Today, the exhibitions of contemporary artists are more like a scientific research. In general, it is nonsense to draw a borderline in arts”.
Shekoyan’s short film “Arena” is nominated for 2020 state funding contest and she is now awaiting results.
“By the way, this is the first film I have ever submitted for a state funding. Prior to this all my films were realized with the support of various grants because I realized myself that it is almost impossible to receive state funds for these experimental, not so much narrative films”.
She finished her last short film “Twist” two months ago, but then followed the coronavirus pandemic and the film’s further life is a little vague now.
“Many of my friends are in similar situation now and I think we should make important conclusions here. There has been a rapid change in the film consumption methods over the past five years. Cinemas and film festivals have yielded positions to multimedia, online platforms such as Netflix. It is likely that in a decade cinema (partly) and festivals (completely) will become marginal. The pandemic came to prove that these changes are inevitable. The Cannes festival shall not be held for the first time in its 73 years of history, and this did not become a major tragedy, many did not even notice it. But suppose Netflix or another online platform decide to stop functioning, all of a sudden, there will definitely be strikes all over the world right the next day”.
Ten years ago during an interview with Ovsanna to “Yerkir” newspaper, I asked Ovsanna if she would ever marry an artist, she answered no, as artists in general are so much concentrated on themselves, they are obsessed with their own nature, constantly thinking about them only. Later, she married cameraman, producer Andranik Sahakyan. During our old conversation she had also mentioned that in Armenia it is only artists that go to their exhibitions, hold narrow discussions among themselves and as a result all the changes remain within this circle only.
To this end has anything changed over the time?
”Ten years ago the exhibitions were more active, although one could tell still then that art is no longer willing to remain within four walls. Now there are no walls, and yes, the circle of consumers and those who hold discussions on art has increased. Another issue is that not everyone adapts to such transformations and are ready for a self-reflection”.
Ruzanna Khachatryan
The President Prize to the Republic of Armenia is initiated and funded by the Boghossian Foundation (Belgium-Switzerland). The Award Ceremony is organized by “Hayastan” All-Armenian Fund. The prizes are conferred by the RA President and the representatives of the Boghossian Foundation annually.
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Ovsanna Shekoyan’s photo: by Narek Aleksanyan
“Aravot” daily
14.05.2020
