National, International, Armenia, and Community News and Opinion

10 The Armenian Reporter | February 7, 2009
Armenia
Seeing the world in red, blue and orange
The “Tri-Color in My
Eyes” photo exhibit
kicks off in Yerevan
by Maria Titizian
YEREVAN – “We want society
to begin loving the yerakyun (tricolor),”
Arpi Dilanchian, member
of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation’s Youth Organization,
says. “It is one of the symbols of
our statehood and we have to learn
to appreciate its value.”
In conjunction with Army Day,
which is celebrated every year in
Armenia on January 28, the ARF’s
Youth Organization held a threeday
photo exhibit-competition
titled, “The Tricolor in My Eyes,”
which kicked off on February 2. The
exhibition took place at the prestigious
Gevorgyan Gallery in downtown
Yerevan.
The photo exhibit-competition
presented 43 original photographs
depicting the Armenian flag. “Everybody
sees the yerakyun differently,”
said another youth organizer
who added that the objective was
for people to start seeing the flag
differently and through their own
eyes. Pointing to one of the photographs
on exhibit titled, “Injecting
the Tricolor,” a young participant
wanted to highlight how differently
people perceive state symbols.
“Injecting the Tricolor,” submitted
by a young photography student
depicts an arm of a man painted
with blue and red veins with an
orange needle injecting something
into his arm. The organizers admit
that they were debating whether
or not to display it because they
weren’t sure how the public would
react. “It’s freedom of expression,”
a young woman interjected. “The
point of the exhibition is for people
to express how they see the yerakyun.”
Another photograph by the
same photographer was what some
of the more conservative members
of the organization called a ‘provocative’
picture of a woman with
cleavage, with red lips sipping orange
juice with a blue straw.
Most of the photographs on display
were from the Armenia-Turkey
World Cup qualifying soccer match
that took place in Yerevan on September
6, 2008, with Turkey’s
President Abdullah Gul in attendance.
That historic game not only
prompted many people in Yerevan
to view the tricolor differently but
city officials also began placing
the Armenian flag in key locations
throughout the city. It created an
unprecedented momentum in Yerevan.
People were waving the tricolor
flag and painting their faces
red, blue, and orange.
Some of the other photographs in
the exhibit were taken during April
24 commemoration ceremonies at
the Genocide Memorial Complex
Tzitzernakaberd and during youth
marches demanding Genocide recognition.
The young activists say that with
independence and statehood, Armenian
society’s appreciation for state
symbols like the coat of arms, the
national anthem, and the tricolor
were not automatic. Understanding
the value of statehood, the organizers
feel, still needs time to take root
in the country. With this photo exhibit
they hope to instill the love of
the yerakyun in Armenian society .
The organizers had invited several
university faculties to participate.
They had placed posters throughout
the city calling for submissions, and
they had used the Internet to advertise
for the event. Even though
they are a youth organization, the
Above: Multitasking. Vahe Khachatryan. Below: Tricolor buds. Njdeh Yeranyan
competition was open to everyone;
there were no limitations placed on
the age of those who wished to participate,
but the overriding majority
were indeed young people.
“One of the participants is a
young woman who is taking part
in an exhibition for the first time in
her life and was so excited. She told
us she would never have imagined
In second place, “Old Armenia.” Photo: Sarkis Virabyan.
being a part of something like this,”
Arpi explains.
During the three-day exhibit,
visitors to the gallery had an opportunity
to vote for their favorite
photograph. The first place
winner, “Power, Faith, Love,” won
30,000 AMD (about $100) depicting
three fists painted in red, blue,
and orange. The photo in second
place, “Old Armenia,” was awarded
20,000 AMD; it depicted an older
Above: A scene
from the
Armenia-Turkey
soccer match.
Photo:Vahe
Khachatryan.
Far left: The
first place
winner, “Power,
Faith, Love”.
Photo: Aram
Baghdasaryan.
Left: Third
place went to “I
am Armenian.”
Photo: Nayruhi
Markaryan.
Armenian with a tricolor scarf on.
Third place went to “I am Armenian,”
with a 10,000 AMD prize. It
showed a young girl on her way to
the Armenia-Turkey soccer match.
The ARF Youth Organization
says that they hope to turn this
photo exhibit into an annual event,
maybe even every three months
with a different theme each time
to encourage the young people
of Armenia to participate.