Armenia for art lovers

giant canvas

I’m entranced by the movement and play of colours in Andrew Carson’s Three Glassinators, a kinetic sculpture made of glass, aluminium and steel, on the top level of the Cascade, a giant stairway that ascends the hillside.

The artist has blended aesthetics and mechanics! I understand from my guide that every design by the American artist starts as a rough sketch on paper, which evolves into an intricate drawing. He then calculates the mechanics and develops a prototype. Close by is the sculpture Laughing Man by Yue Minjun, a famous Chinese artist whose trademark art is frozen laughter in sculpture, painting and print!

Yerevan, the capital of pint-sized Armenia, is one of the oldest cities in the world. But walk through it and you’ll be surprised by the wealth of contemporary art on display. There are works by local and international artists who use streets, buildings and public spaces of the city to host their masterpieces.

Startling everyone

At Cascade (in the centre of Yerevan), a series of escalators and exterior stairs that, well, cascades from the Monument neighbourhood to a district near the Yerevan Opera House. The New York Times has said that “the centre, a mad work of architectural megalomania and historical recovery, is one of the strangest but most memorable museum buildings to open in ages. Imagine an Art Deco version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon!”

Its construction began in the 70s under the Soviet rule, but the project was not completed as the USSR dissolved. Built into a gigantic hill, with a staircase that links the gardens on the outside, the place was originally conceived in Soviet times to be topped by a monument to the Soviet revolution. Then, in 2001, Gerard Cafesjian, a rich member of the Armenian diaspora, began transforming the grounds and the space behind the staircase into a museum that it is today.

The Cascade, explored at different levels, has a terrace, works of art, and views of the city. A massive stone staircase with sculptures, gardens and fountains rises hundreds of feet up the adjacent hill. A great work-out is to climb the 572 steps, past art-filled landings, to a monument celebrating the Soviet victory in World War II. There’s an escalator for those who don’t feel too active. From a height of nearly 100 feet, you can see Mount Ararat on the border with Turkey in the distance, on a clear day. At the base of the staircase is the Cafesjian Center for the Arts.

I stroll through the sculpture garden that fronts Cascade, lined with arabesque plantings and fountains. Locals sit on benches and read newspapers, and also chat with friends. The Black Cat (Gatto), a sculpture by Colombian artist Fernando Boteron, is installed in the sculpture garden. The sculptures arrived by sea, land and air from all over the world. Included are major works by international artists Fernando Botero, Barry Flanagan, Jim Unsworth, and Peter Hill Jones, among others.

A buxom woman wrought out of black onyx lies nude on her stomach, looking out over her cigarette at the tourists and locals who surround her. That’s rotund but loveable Woman Smoking a Cigarette, by Botero. I love British sculptor Lynn Chadwick’s abstract geometric heads and bodies in a couple sculpture. The figures are usually created in pairs combining Chadwick’s extraordinary imagination with superb technical skills. Spanish artist Jaume Plensa’s Shadows is my favourite piece in the park — a sitting figure created out of sculpted alphabets.

It’s made out of fine, stainless-steel wire mesh so that the surrounding environment is visible through the work. Then there are the larger-than-life whimsical teapots created by Joana Vasconcelos, a bronze sculpture of impalas springing up, a cool, and a white-marble Polar Bear (by Chinese artist Zhaohui Liu). At the far side of the park is a towering statue of Alexander Tamanian, the visionary Armenian architect who originally envisioned Cascade.

The beauty within

Inside Cascade there’s a long shaft containing a series of escalators, and an intricate network of halls and courtyard. As visitors ride their escalator, the innovation and humour of the exhibits keep them entertained. Landings act as dramatic stages for art pieces and installations. Then there is the famous LOVE sculpture — Yerevan is one of 38 cities that have this pop artwork by Robert Indiana. I love British artist Maylee Christie’s Giant Orchid — in a pleasing shade of pink, made of mosaic glass, ceramic and semi-precious stones.

Another public space that acts like a canvas for art installations is the green above the Monument Terrace. I see the colourful sculpture, Circus, by British artist Jim Unsworth, which has three balancing elephants performing in a circus ring. The circus theme has inspired the artist for some time. Then there is The Little House, a charming and delightful creation by Peter Hill Jones. It’s a miniature clapboard house with clay tiles and interiors, made from wood, stone, clay, and iron. Constructed of building materials, the green itself has become part of the sculpture, forming the lawn and garden surrounding this diminutive bit of architectural whimsy. At another end is a bevy of exotic bird sculptures.

I head to the Republic Square to watch the cheesy sounds-and-lights show that includes a fountain and some hits from the 90s or older times. Crowds sit around to watch the spectacle as strains of classical music echoes. It seems a fitting finale to the visual feast that the city has offered at every stage.