"Yerevan, 3–8 August 2026: Italian-Armenian Workshop presents restoration as an act of civilization" by Carlo Coppola
Questo articolo con il titolo "Yerevan 3-8 agosto 2026: workshop italo-armeno racconta il restauro come atto di civiltà
" di Carlo Coppola è apparso in lingua italiana sul giornale "In Città Giovinezza" diretto da Papas Antonio Calisi al seguente link:
Armenia, a crossroads of civilization between East and West, holds a millennia-old heritage in which the roots of paganism, an exceptionally early Christian tradition, and an extraordinary artistic production coexist. A legacy often mortified by the state atheism imposed in the twentieth century, but today at the center of a renewed path of rediscovery, protection and enhancement, aimed at returning it to the international community in its authentic historical and cultural dimension.
Within this scenario is set "Yerevan: Matter, Memory and Restoration," an international workshop promoted by ARTELIER and SIREH, with the support of the European Heritage Hub and co-financing from the European Union, scheduled from 3 to 8 August 2026 in the Armenian capital.
The initiative, reserved for a group of ten to twelve Italian and Armenian participants and coordinated by Liana Ghukasyan, offers an immersive journey through the country's principal sites of memory and material culture: from the collections of the Matenadaran, which holds over 17,000 ancient manuscripts, to the Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art (ACCEA), and on to the Armenian Genocide Memorial at Tsitsernakaberd and the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Garni and Geghard. An itinerary that interweaves conservation, research and knowledge of the territory.
The program alternates theoretical lessons with practical exercises: from Yerevan's tuff architecture to the study of illuminated manuscripts, from documenting the deterioration of cultural heritage to restoration techniques, through to the analysis of Armenia's monumental landscape.
Among the most significant moments is the workshop dedicated to the pigments of Agulis, ancient coloring earths obtained from local minerals: participants will study their natural characteristics and experiment with their use alongside traditional binders, following procedures handed down from the monastic scriptoria. Not merely an artistic exercise, then, but an experience aimed at understanding color as an element of identity and culture: a material born from Armenian soil that, through the centuries, continues to recount the history, spirituality and memory of a people.
Carlo Coppola
