Gyumri Art Week presents contemporary art in all its manifestations: exhibitions, performances, video art, installations, concerts as well as enlightening excursions to art studios, art residences in different regions of Armenia and panel discussions.

Gyumri (Armenian: pronounced is an urban municipal community and the second-largest city in Armenia, serving as the administrative center of Shirak Province in the northwestern part of the country. By the end of the 19th century, when the city was known as Alexandropol. The city became renowned as a cultural hub and city still is now we coling cultural city of Armenia.

Right after the Independence Armenia started the process of renaming geographic names of the cities connected with Soviet prominent figures. As such former city Leninakan renamed Kumayri which is the historical name of contemporary Gyumri. However in 1992 Kumayri changed to Gyumri. Gyumri has always been as a cultural hub in Armenia. Although it faced enormous natural disaster the earthquake in 1988 it continued to generate cultural activities and the best example was Gyumri biennial which aimed to revitalize the life in the city through art and culture. That included large scale activities with local and international art communities. Even though this biennial is stoped Gyumri continues to be a center of various cultural initiatives. In order to reestablish this tradition we decided to kick off the International Gyumri Art week.

Gyumri has a very strong position as a cultural city, but not as a city of contemporary art, despite numerous museums, galleries, and artists. It is necessary to raise the position of “City of Art”, “School of Thought” to national and international levels.

International Gyumri Art Week is a contemporary art festival held once a year.
Gyumri Art Week is a leading contemporary art platform in the South Caucasus, reflecting the contemporary art field of Armenia.

Gyumri Art Week will contribute to:
. Decentralization of cultural life in Armenia
. tourism development
. preservation of the environment with contemporary art methods
. raising socio-psychological problems
. non-formal art education programs

The localized nature of the concepts and issues raised by Gyumri Art Week - to consider Gyumri and the region as an art-research field.

Gyumri Art Week presents contemporary art in all its manifestations.
. new media
. exhibitions
. performances
. video art
. installations
. concerts
. visit to art studios
. art residencies in different regions of Armenia
. panel discussions
. non-formal arts education programs
. actions in public spaces