Open letter to MICHAEL KIMMELMAN in response to his NYT article – “Unveiling the Hanging Gardens of Armenia”

The article can be read here

Hello Mr. Kimmelman,

I have not been back in Armenia in 10 years and was interested to read your article. Unfortunately I would like to share by disappointment, because from reading your article I am left with a sad picture of Yerevan and its art. I remember the national gallery possessing some artwork and you had a good chance, since you said the gallery was empty, to find examples of Armenian fine art. Yet you do not speak of the art in either museum, in your whole article you concentrate on the “mad” architecture building and the empty outdated national gallery, that is surrounded by a park? So the surrounding buildings, the parliamentary buildings, they too were part of the mad architect 1930s era? It is rare to find an article about my country, Armenia, and when one is written of all places the New York TImes, one would hope that it would say a word or two about the art that was in the new Cafesjian Center. As a reader not in the country I would hope to know about the art in the center, instead I learned of all things about the lack of refrigeration in Armenian morgues/hospitals. I read your profile on wikipedia and I find that you are a learned professional with high merits, yet after visiting so far away in some small country, all you could speak of as an professional in the arts, was not about the art itself. Please share your findings in the National Gallery, it seems that you actually went through some of its floors, that are better lighted. More importantly please tell us about the Cafesjian Center and the art you found there. The buildings and the surrounding “chaos” of an economically devastated country governed by corrupted officials, has nothing to do with its capacity to produce art. I come from an art family, with my fathers house adjacent to Martiros Saryan’s house, my childhood was spent playing next to these bulky statues of our countries heroes. I am not saddened by your article, I am saddened by the impression that you were left with of my city and country’s art. A country with art extending thousand of years, and you did not see any examples of our art. Its just a waste of such a long trip which I wish I could make, unfortunately I am a poor design student at NYU. I hope that when and if you have a chance to look through those dark halls of the National Gallery you would find some treasures like original works by Rembrandt. I can’t tell you of the art at the Cafesjian Center since your article did not talk of it.

Thanks Vache Asatryan

The Cafesjian Center for the Arts in Armenia.