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Armen Agop

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Armen Agop (born in 1969 in Cairo) is a contemporary Egyptian artist who is changing perspectives and pushing the boundaries on contemporary art.[1] [2]He is known for his spiritually charged contemplative works, which were described to reminiscence the harmony, balance and purity of the human soul. [1] Agop engages meditative practices in his processes, prioritizing inwardness and inner monumentality. Soberness, slowness and renouncement of demonstrative abilities, are features that characterize his ascetic approach.[3]

Untitled (2018) granite sculpture by Armen Agop, installed at the front entrance of the El Alamein Hotel, El Alamein, Egypt.
Armen Agop
Born
Cairo, Egypt
Known forSpiritual Contemporary Art
MovementTranscontemporary
Websitehttps://www.armenagop.com/

Early life and education

Agop was born Armen Guerboyan to Armenian parents living in Cairo, Egypt.[4][5] Growing up between these two cultures with ancient roots, drove him to develop a perspective beyond the geographical boundaries. The dialog between the two heritages created in him a continuous reevaluation of values, a personal perspective unconditioned by east and west or ancient and contemporary. Agop was also affected by the dry landscape of Egypt, saying, "It was in the desert, where there seems to be nothing, that's where I learned to see".[1][6][7]

Agop showed an interest in drawing and painting at a very young age and by the age of 13 was a student of the Armenian painter, Simon Shahrigian. He completed the Faculty of the Fine Arts at Helwan University in Cairo. After graduating, he received an assistant researcher scholarship to teach sculpture at the same university for three years.[8]

Career

From 1997-2000 Agop exhibited in diverse shows throughout Egypt and received the Sculpture prize of the Autumn Salon in 1998. In 2000, his national recognition was confirmed when he was awarded the Prix de Rome, the State Prize of Artistic Creativity in Egypt. After staying in Rome the first year on sponsorship, he moved to Pietrasanta, Italy where he continues to live and work today. In 2011 he was awarded the Premio Umberto Mastroianni by the Biennale Internazionale di Scultura Della Regione Piemonte. In 2013, he was awarded the Premio Sulmona, (Presidential Medal of the Italian Republic).[9]

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His works are in the permanent collections of: the Egyptian Modern Art Museum, Egypt, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, Qatar, Villa Empain/Boghossian Foundation in Belgium, Aswan Open Air Museum, Aswan Egypt, Barjeel Art Foundation, UAE, City of Neckarsulm, Germany, Giardino di Piazza Stazione in Barge, Italy, and Coral Springs Museum of Art in Florida, USA.

Agop is known for an ascetic approach to his work.[10] In his own words, "Simplicity is very complicated". Agop's work has also often been described as "Contrasting Art" where the contemporary and the ancient meet; his artistic presence springs from his cross-cultural philosophy.[11] "The ancient and the contemporary may seem very different, but I think the essentials are the same", he said in Art Plural: Voices of Contemporary Art (2014).[12]

Touch

The Touch series consists of sculptures that are activated by the viewer's touch, causing them to rock or sway. Agop invites the viewer to move beyond visual observation into physical interaction, rejecting the sacredness of art.[8]

Sufic

The title of this series refers to Sufism, a simple life of prayer, reflecting Agop's own meditative process.[3] In pursuit of one central form that balances stillness and movement, Agop also sculpted these works to sway at a slight touch, yet appear solid and unmoving.[13]

Transcontemporary

In 2015, Agop used the term "Transcontemporary" to describe the tension between past and future in art that is referred to today as contemporary.[] "Contemporary" is an ever-changing term, as what is now considered ancient was once contemporary. So, Agop mixes the 'ancient' with the 'contemporary' by sculpting durable stone without obvious references to modern times, creating an ultimate work that rejects categorization.[14]

Awards

  • 2000/2001 – Prix de Rome[citation needed]
  • 2010 – International Umberto Mastroianni award[15]
  • 2013 – Premio Sulmona, Rassegna Internazionale D’Arte Contemporanea/Presidential Medal of the Italian Republic[16]

Collections

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References

  1. ^ a b c "Egyptian Artists You Need to Know". Archived from the original on 31 March 2017.
  2. ^ Ardia, C. A. Xuan Mai (12 December 2015). "5 Egyptian artists working with innovative practices". RevolutionArtNow.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b "Armen Agop". Sculpture Magazine. September 2018. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Art World Forum: Armen Agop". Archived from the original on 29 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Armen Agop Guerboyan".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ "Fine Art Asia 2011". Archived from the original on 16 November 2019.
  7. ^ Agop, Armen (19 December 2021). "Armen Agop: Contemporary Spiritual Art". The Culturium.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ a b "contemporary artist | Armen Agop: biography". www.armenagop.com.
  9. ^ El Adawi, Reham (November 2013). "Romancing the stone". Al-Ahram Weekly.
  10. ^ "Armen Agop". Archived from the original on 9 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Armen Agop - 10 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy". www.artsy.net.
  12. ^ Peppiatt, Michael (2014). Art Plural: Voices of Contemporary Art. Fairport, NY: Gatehouse Publishing. ISBN 978-9810784089.
  13. ^ "Undercurrent: Contemporary Egyptian Art" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 April 2019.
  14. ^ "Exhibition of new works by Egyptian artist Armen Agop". Archived from the original on 27 September 2021.
  15. ^ "I vincitori del Premio Umberto Mastroianni 2010". 1 November 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ "Armen Agop". www.artprize.org.
  17. ^ Nawar, Ahmad. "Aswan International Sculpture Symposium" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  18. ^ "AGOP Armen, Artisti in Collezione | Museo dei Bozzetti". www.museodeibozzetti.it. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  19. ^ "Coral Springs Museum of Art | Coral Springs, FL". www.coralsprings.org. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Recognizing Local Art". EgyptToday. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  21. ^ "Exhibition of new works by Egyptian artist Armen Agop". ArtDaily. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  22. ^ "Jardins en fête". Villa Empain – Fondation Boghossian. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  23. ^ "Armen Agop". Barjeel Art Foundation. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
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