Hasmik Tangyan

I am a performer and choreographer based in Yerevan, Armenia. An important part of my work is teaching, including somatic and healing practices. In 2018 I, together with Harutyun Alpetyan, co-founded the Contemporary Choreography Lab (CoChoLab Armenia), where I run the Contemporary Dance School for kids and adults. In 2020 I founded the Arvestaran Creative Development Center, which supports people with autism and other developmental disorders of all ages to develop and advance their living, social, and self-advocacy skills.

Mane Hovhannisyan

I am Mane Hovhannisyan, an Armenian fine art and conceptual photographer. My art revolves around various themes, including the delicate balance between magic and reality, the harmonious connection between the human body and its natural and urban surroundings, and the exploration of old Soviet architectural remnants through the lens of photography. Since 2015, I've had the privilege of working as the lead photographer for the "Daily" newspaper of GAIFF, where I've been able to capture compelling stories through my lens. In 2020, I was deeply honored to receive the "Multimedia Production Lab Grant" in Tbilisi, which further fueled my passion for multimedia photography. My work has been featured in numerous prestigious publications, including "River Styx," "High Shelf Press," "Cagibi," "Beyond Words," "Red Weather," and "Ponder Review" magazines, among others. In 2021, my photo series "FABULA" was recognized with an award in the Professional Fine Art category at the 7th Fine Art Photography Awards. The following year, my photo series "Blue Sun" received an Honorable Mention award in the Professional Fine Art Series Category at the 17th Pollux Awards. I've also had the privilege of showcasing my work in several international exhibitions. Notably, my photographs have been exhibited at Praxis Gallery in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at FotoNostrum Gallery in Barcelona, Spain, and in Lecce, Italy, as part of my participation in the GAIA Foto Festival. These experiences have allowed me to connect with diverse audiences and share my artistic vision with the world.

"Blue Sun"

The main idea of my photographic series "Blue Sun" is to help change the perception of contemporary dance as well as of the female body as an instrument of art in Armenian society. In this context, I show through my photos the work of Hasmik Tangyan, the founder of "CoChoLab Armenia" (Contemporary Choreography Lab). She is a contemporary dancer and performer in Armenia, who tries to develop the scene of contemporary choreography through teaching and research. The title "Blue Sun" is a sort of alternative method of narrative. The photo story contains some allusions to the atmosphere of the film "Solaris" by Andrei Tarkovsky, as well as general about the Soviet epoch. Moreover, the bluish photos reflect the mood of the novel "Solaris" by Stanislaw Lem, from which the title "Blue Sun" has got. The photographs illustrate the inner sense of transparency, the merging of the body with the space, the body as an art object, and the body as an element of the universe. In this way, I combine two narrative lines, which are paralleled on a philosophical level. The photo series "Blue Sun" is the recipient of the Tbilisi Photography & Multimedia Museum grant for South Caucasus Female Photographers (2020 year) mentored by Grégoire Eloy.

Photographer: Mane Hovhannisyan