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Yeranuhi Soghoyan

Art of (anti) Corruption Poster Exhibition in Yerevan: “Corruption is not Genetic”

Posters are one of the most influential and powerful visual means to express social issues. The dreamers, the oppressed, and those looking for change- they all present their struggle for peace, social justice and political reforms via posters. This art allows artists to express the spirit of the time and demands of society by raising awareness of the problem.

The Art of (anti) Corruption Poster Exhibition, initiated by Impact Hub Yerevan in partnership with the European Union Delegation in Armenia, opened at AGBU exhibition hall on October 20. The exhibition is part of a campaign that seeks to empower artists to raise awareness, educate and shine a creative light on the complicated effects of corruption on Armenian society and beyond.

The exhibition curator and participant Samvel Saghatelyan says that poster art is one of the most effective ways to present such problems. During the Soviet era, posters were very popular and were constantly used to influence people through visual images.

Samvel Saghatelyan doesn’t recall such an extensive exhibition of posters during 25 years of independence. As to the form and theme, this is the first ever exhibition in Armenia of its kind.  

Several months ago, a competition was announced specially for the exhibition. 75 artists from Armenia and around the world (Yerevan, Gyumri, New York, Belgium, San Salvador, etc.) participated in the competition, 35 artists with their 64 works have been selected to enter the final competition and exhibition. The authors of the four best works got awards on the day of the opening.

"The competition was open to professionals and amateurs. There was also an opportunity to form teams, if there was an interesting idea. As a result, we have a teamwork, where the professional artist-designer has implemented the idea of ​​non-professionals, "says Samvel Saghatelyan, “14-year-old participant presented a very interesting job. We could not refuse her application only because she wasn’t professional. We took into account the message, which was a good one: corruption takes away our dreams. We also had a participant who was handicapped and created his artwork with the help of his leg and a computer mouse. "

Samvel Saghatelyan

Out of the three posters of 38-year-old Iranian-Armenian Tenny Adamian, "Do not Feed Corruption" has been awarded a prize for the best work and an original message.


Tenny Adamian

"I have introduced corruption through a person who loves to eat the favorite dish of the nation - meat barbeque with layers of fat. The hats replace meat, representing the corrupted parts of Armenia, and the banknotes replace fat, "explains Tenny Adamian. " I show the possibility of choice through my posters, noting that by choosing right, we can achieve full freedom. "

Tenny Adamian is a graphic designer and an artist by profession. In 2003, she moved to Yerevan to study. She’s a freelancer. She decided to spend the prize - 300 euro - on a tour. "This winter, me and my husband have decided not to stay in Armenia. We’ll go to east - Thailand, Cambodia - on a cycling tour. I will allocate the money for that purpose. "

Sargis Hovhannisyan

33-year-old Sargis Hovhannisyan, an artist and graphic designer from Gyumri, presented four works at the exhibition, that are the result of collaborating with non-professionals. "I was looking for ideas when journalist Zaruhi Mejlumyan wrote, saying she was looking for a designer. She sent me her articles about Mher Yenokyan, serving a life sentence in prison.

I knew very little about prison, I hadn’t read much, but I got interested and began to study the articles sent by Zaruhi. That's how the posters were created. Three posters were made based on the ideas proposed by Zaruhi and the fourth idea was proposed by Mher Yenokyan,” says Sargis, who has 10 years of poster making experience.

The Art of (anti) Corruption Poster Exhibition will be presented not only in Yerevan, but also in Gyumri and other cities in the provinces.

Photos: Narek Aleksanyan

Comments (1)

Gabe Korajian
Excellent. Finally we are facing corruption head on. Creating awareness through events such as this (exhibition) is the best method of educating the public. in particular, the youth.

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