29.7.2022 - 5.8. 2022 | GALIQUE ART * SPACE, Gyumri
With the concept of "Galique" Hrachya Vardanyan initiated a creative space and hub for envisioning our future within the community of art and technology in Armenia. "Galique'" stands for bridging the past, the now and for mastering the upcoming.
As artistic director of the social business entrepreneur project Gwoog LLC Hrachya Vardanyan initiated the project „ODA - cultural hub". Led by the vision of incubating art, science and technology, the project is set up as a collaborative and interdisciplinary process. The exhibition at GALIQUE depicts the vision of contemporary Oda offering space for sensing, understanding and sharing the past, the presence and the future to become a milestone for art and culture.
Gwoog*
The Art of Hospitality & Living Heritage
Gwoog gastrohouse opened in July 2019 in Gyumri, as a Integrated Rural Tourist Development Program project, financed by UNDP. As a social business it is specialized in preserving Shirak culinary heritage, producing blue cheese and dairy products made exclusively of raw materials purchased from local farmers. The original intention was to create a place where to enjoy authentic local food made of organic ingredients, which are made only in Shirak region. Thus, to also support the local business, farming and in general the wealth of the Shirak region.
Gwoog also stands for bridging old traditions by addressing the opportunities and needs of our actual time and our future to be created. The consequent next step for the owners of Gwoog was, to expand the social business by a place, that can host the bigger realm of Armenian culture by connecting it with art, science and local handcraft.
ODA, the ancient family space for coming together, was a role model and a symbol for cultural heritage, from which a contemporary project was calling to be built upon.
Financed by GIZ - The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH - „ODA - cultural hub“ is a project following the path of a transdisciplinary, shared process with Institutions of Science, Cultural Institutions, students of Gyumri Technology Center, local people of Shirak Region, local business and with external experts from Europe.
* People living in Shirak call a cellar ”gwoog”.
Project team
Internal team
Avetik Vardanyan – CEO of Gwoog LLC
Hrachya Vardanyan - artistic director
Hamlet Gevorgyan - manager of Gwoog gastrohouse
Narine Khachatryan - project coordinator
Ruzanna Vardanyan – communication
External team members
Elisabeth Handl, AT / consultant
Ralf Bäcker, GER / consultant
Cooperation businesses & partners
Ballab - branding agency
Beon accounting
Cooperation partnes fo the exhibition
Galique Art Space
GTC - Gyumri Technology Center
The Gallery Of Mariam And Yeranuhi Aslamazyan Sisters, Director Karen Barseghyan
Shirak Museum
Institute of Archeology and Ethnography
Amasia Wool Factory, AR
Specials thanks for amazing hands-on support to:
Gurgen Ginosyan, AR / Photography
The participating students of GTC Grafik Design Class: Hasmik Aghuzumtsyan, Meline Hovsegyan, Vaesik Nowkyan, Knarik Sargsyan.
Vaghinak Asatryan / Pottery
Narek Van Ashughatoyan / Carpet
Gevorg Grigoryan / Art projection
ODA is implemented within the frames of the EU4Business “Innovative Tourism and Technology Development for Armenia (ITTD)’’ project financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the German International Cooperation (GIZ).
