Weaved messages –
Exhibition of Hrachya Vardanyan in Porgy & Bess in May 2017

Hrachya Vardanyan was born in 1987 in Gyumri, the second-largest town of Armenia. After graduation at university of art he began his career as an artist in 2006, when he had his first exhibition in Vienna (Serafin Gallery).
2012 he was artist in residence in Ireland where he had key experiences by studying the nature there. He discovered similar approaches of “space perception” between Ireland and his home country, Armenia, and found a bridge in symbol of “dragon” between nature and cultural heritage. This perception leads him to be convinced that in landscapes unvisible structures and ancient motives are hidden which lend them a kind of “genetic memory”. In Vardanyans point of view our universe occupies timeless knowledge which is beyond the human cultural heritage and sense of nature.
So Vardanyans intentness focuses especially long established motives of dragons, be it on stones carved centuries ago or on carpets. In “Dragon carpet” he combines the ancient Armenian tradition of knotting carpets with his verve as an artist: Different patterns and sizes of carpets offer inspiring ideas for the substrate, the colours and the frames which induce him to weaved messages. Doing so, the artist shows his incessant search for historical roots of his individual as well as of Armenia’s identity, to boost his creativity.
Vardanyan is also a co-funder of the artists’ team “Wishapaqar” in Gyumri.. They scent out old Armenian traditions and revive them through cultural activities for today – always in search of “timeless spaces.”
At present, Vardanyan works as an artist in residence at the Töpperschloss in Neubruck near Scheibbs (Lower Austria). He outlines the guiding idea of his activities there (till end of June 2017) as “crossing spaces” (the reception and private viewing will take place on 14 June, embedded into a concert by Karen Asatrian & Armenian Spirit).