100 years ago our present was created
We ended up in a cage
100 years ago Iraq Oil was as important as it is now
The oil squeezed us, divided us, scattered us...
Now, this should be remembered, or does remembering this interfere with the present?
now gas, the same oil, water, soil, grain,
Everything,
Everything is as important as it was 100 years ago.
People are unimportant
Are we human or not?
Are people human or not human?
or
people are only human as much as other people want them to be...
(Gagik Ghazareh)
Gagik Ghazareh
Was born in 1973, in the village of Vardenik, Armenia. In the 1980s his family moved to Yerevan. From 1990- to 95 he studied at the Armenian Pedagogical Institute, Faculty of Culture, and got the qualifications in Feature Film Directing. He spent his teenage and young years in post-Soviet Independent Armenia during the long transitional years of crisis following the destruction of the Soviet Empire. His works are marked by very distinct voicing of human rights, and deep rebellion against violence and political violence in particular.
Several of his works faced suppression and censorship by the authorities then in power in Armenia. The poetic video-essay devoted to Artak Nazaryan who was killed in the army during non-military circumstances was exhibited in the Armenian Center for Contemporary Art (2010) but met indirect suppression and was canceled. In 2016 his documentary film "Listen To Me, Untold Stories Beyond Hatred" was canceled from the Special Program of the "Golden Apricot" International Film Festival due to pressures from the government, the church, and various other groups.
He participated in numerous local and international platforms with his films, performances, and videoart, and received awards. He is known as an advocate of innovation; his works are marked by bold experimentation and strive for documentary reliability.
In 2003 he founded "ONE SHOT" International Short Film Festival. In 2006 he founded the "ONE SQUARE METER" Theater Festival. In 2001 and 2007 he was in Venice International Modern Art Biennale, as the Assistant Curator for the Armenian National Pavilion. From 2009 - to 2019 he was the head of the Art Council and the Executive Director of the Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art. In 2019 he founded the "Open Art Platform" NGO where he is currently bringing to life his art projects.
Hannes Seidl
Hannes Seidl was born in Bremen, Germany in 1977. Between 1998 and 2003 he studied composition at the Folkwang- Hochschule Essen with Nicolas A. Huber, Th. Neuhaus and in 2003/2004 with Beat Furrer in Graz. He received different scholarships for his work including from the Darmstadt Summer Courses, Akademie der Künste Berlin, Frankfurter Künstlerhilfe and the DAAD. He has won prizes e.g at Impuls Graz (2004), Landesmusikrat Bremen (2006) and Best Experimental Film for “Film für übers Sofa” (together with Daniel Kötter) at the Bolzano Short Film Festival (2010).
Hannes Seidl has worked with ensembes such as Ensemble Modern, KNM Berlin, Ensemble Mosaik, Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Oriol, Thürmchen Ensemble, ensemble courage, ensemble Intégrales or the Neuen Vocalsolisten Stuttgart. His compositions have been performed internationally at the ultraschall festival Berlin, Märzmusik Berlin, ultima Oslo, steirischer herbst Graz, ECLAT, warshaw autumn and others.
His electronic music has been developed in electronic music studios including the IRCAM (Paris), ZKM (Karlsruhe), C.S.C (Padova), Akademie der Künste (Berlin) and IEM (Graz). His works include sound installations, music theatre, short Films and concert music.
Since 2008 he is has been working on different projects with video artist Daniel Kötter.
In August 2009 the Deutscher Musikrat has released the portrait-CD „Musik für übers Sofa“ at the Label WERGO.
Hannes Seidl lives in Frankfurt/Main