Museum of Contemporary Art was established in 1972 by art historian Heinrich Igityan, who was the director of the museum for 37 years. In the case of the museum H. Igityan received a great support from the mayor of Yerevan those years, Gregory Hasratian , as well as the invaluable help of Armenian artists of the 60-s.
As a specialized museum of modern art, it was the first and not only in the former Soviet Union, but also in the entire socialist camp. For over 20 years the museum was the only center of contemporary art in the aforementioned region. It has become a favorite destination for tourists and official guests of Yerevan. The first exhibition was made up of works donated to the museum artists of the 60s from Armenia and the representatives of Armenian Diaspora.
Dominance of socialist realism in all areas of art of the Soviet Union denied the existence of contemporary art in all its expressions. Thus, there was no financial support provided from the government to G. Igityan, so the museum was opened exclusively by donations of artists.
Works of generation 60s, in particular, Minas Avetisyan, Ashot Hovhannisyan, Martin Petrosian, Hagop Hagopian, Gayane Khachaturyan, Vruir Galstyan, Henry and Robert Elibekyanov, Harutiun Kalents, Rudolf Khachatryan, Ashot Bayandurov today are also the main axis of the museum's collection.
Later, the exhibition was complemented by the works of a younger generation, generation from 80s: Sargis Amalbashyan, Arthur and Ararat Sargsyan, Marina Dilanyan, Albert Hakobyan, Samvel Baghdasaryan, Arevik Arevshatyan, Ruben Grigoryan, Kamo Nigaryana, Armen Gevorgyan, Tigran Matulyana, Shadow Vardanyan, Gabriel Manukyan and others.
In 2004, the charity of the United States, Grigor Muradyan, presented to the museum paintings and sculpture of Emil Kazaz, and in 2010 sculpture by Karen Petrossian from Canada was purchased for the museum by Zangezur Copper – Molybdenum Combine.
All of the above artists have enjoyed a good reputation today, not only in Armenia, but also abroad, where they are often invited to held personal exhibition.
Special attention should be paid to the museum staff publishing, under the leadership of Henry Igitian. Over the past few years a number of albums have been published, such as: "Kochar", "Alexander Bazhbeuk – Melikyan", "From Ovnatanyana to Minas", "Museum", "The Armenian Palette I", " The Armenian Palette II", " Minas Avetisyan", "Vruyr Galstyan”, "Ashot Hovhannisyan", as well as the personal catalogues of artists from 80s and etc. Currently, the album "The Museum of Modern Art” is delivered to press.
Today the museum is, as always, waiting for visitors who besides acquaintance with the works of contemporary Armenian art can also use the services of qualified guides and listen to the tour in Armenian, Russian and other languages .
Since inception, the museum has been visited by many famous figures of science and culture, popular personality. All of them mentioned the fact that the museum has its own face, its original view of the world, which distinguishes it from many of museums. Among the visitors was the academician, director of the Hermitage , Boris Piotrowski , writer Chingiz Aitmatov, the actor Mikhail Ulyanov, the Mexican painter David Alfaro Siqueiros, the Italian film director Michelangelo Antonioni, the Italian painter Renato Guttuso, director of the Museum Bochum Peter Spielmann, and also William Saroyan, Tigran Mansourian, Agassi Aivazyan and etc.
The importance of the museum's existence was mentioned by the famous Russian art critic, publicist Alexander Kamenskiy in 1979: "… At first, the museum was a utopian idea – no room for the exposure, initiators did not possess money to buy works of artists. However, they had something more important and valuable: the belief that Armenia needs to see and understand the new look of his art in our time. "
Be welcome to get great experience by acquaintance with this wonderful museum, reflecting the art of modern Armenia that has absorbed the great heritage of the past centuries and recycle this heritage in a new way.
Hours:
Tue – Sun: 11.00 – 18.00
Closed on Monday