1.12.18

About the ‘Armenia!’ exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of New York


 Claude Mutafian

A distinguished art historian and well-known specialist of Byzantium, Mrs. Helen Evans has been working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for many years. Among the exhibitions she has organized, let us mention ‘The Glory of Byzantium (843-1261)’ in 1997 and ‘Byzantium: Faith and Power (1261-1557)’ in 2004. Such topics involved necessarily neighboring Armenia, and Mrs. Evans’ growing interest for Armenian art was finally materialized by the present widely publicized exhibition called ‘Armenia!’, where the curious exclamation mark may reflect some kind of admiration. More important is the absence of any mention of period in the title, contrary to the two abovementioned Byzantine exhibitions. At first glance, it suggests that the exhibition should cover the three millennia of Armenian history, or at least, if one decides to exclude Urartu, the period from 500 B.C. to our days. This is not the case: it begins at the dawn of the 4th century, with the Christianization of Armenia, and ignores totally one millennium of pagan Armenia. As an example, the absence of the name of the most famous of all Armenian kings, Tigranes the Great (1st century B.C.), in an exhibition called ‘Armenia!’ looks strange, if not unacceptable. It would have been fair to call the exhibition ‘Christian Armenia!’, and briefly explain on an introductory panel that Armenia did exist long before, and that Christianization opened a new artistic era. Such was the case of the exhibition properly called ‘Armenia Sacra’ in Paris (musée du Louvre, 2007).
The quality of the various items displayed here is properly amazing. The exhibition succeeded in obtaining some incredibly rich loans, some of them having systematically been refused before, as a manuscript of the greatest Armenian miniaturist, T‘oros Roslin (13th century), lent by the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Let us also mention the fabulous wooden door of the Mush Surb Karapet monastery, now kept in a private collection, so that this is probably a unique opportunity to admire it.
Many other similar examples can be given, but an exhibition is not a mere collection of masterpieces, it has to be a pedagogical tool and lead the visitor into a world essentially unknown, helping him to discover it. Unfortunately, this is not the case for Armenia!’ First of all, the absence of any map, from the very beginning to the end, is amazing. Does everyone know what and where Armenia is? Even for those who know it, where are Cilicia, Vaspurakan, Sevan, Siwnik,‘ and so on? These provinces remain purely abstract names. Even in the last section, dedicated to the trade routes, not a single itinerary is explicitly shown. As for the catalogue, it includes, at the very beginning (p. 24-25), a single map, which stretches from Eastern America to Japan: Armenia is so tiny that the names of dozens of cities and monasteries are illegible, the provinces being totally omitted!
This huge gap could have been, at least partly, compensated by some adequate historical explanations, but these are absent from the exhibition, as well as from the catalogue. A glance to the list of the contributors of this catalogue shows that it involves exclusively art historians; there is practically not a single historian in spite of the fact that the evolution of art cannot be dissociated from the historical frame.
As a first consequence of this absence of historical control, precision is often lacking and mistakes are frequent. Let us quote a few of them:
- After 387, Armenia was not “made a vassal state of Iran”; it was divided between Byzantium and Persia (p. 209)
- The dates of the historian Movses Khorenatsi are still controversial, between the 5th and the 8th or even 9th century: the precise dates “(410-490)” assigned here make no sense (p. 29)
- The annexion of Kars took place in 1065, not in “1054” (p. 34)
- The mother of Queen Melisende was not from “Edessa,” but from Melitene (p. 35)
- The first husband of Zabel was not “deposed,” but put to death (p. 35, 130)
- King Levon V was not “buried” in Saint-Denis – where his tomb stone was transferred in the 19th century – but in the Celestins’ convent (p. 36)
- The name “Armenia Maritima” for the Crimean coast is a myth (p. 88)
- This southern coast of Crimea was in the hand of the Genovese alone, not the “Venetians and Genovese” (p. 164)
- The foundation of the Armenian Patriarchate in 1461 by sultan Mehmed II and the bishop of Bursa is purely mythic (p. 172, 253)
- The patriarch of Jerusalem was not at all restricted “on a local level” (p. 233)
The exhibition captions and the catalogue notices are full of interesting details concerning the description of the objects, but they generally omit the historical context in full. For example, let us have a look to the section dealing with Armenians in Italy (p. 164): when, why, how did they settle there? No answer. Even worse for Jerusalem (p. 218), where the foundation of the Patriarchate is totally ignored and the famous mosaics quoted without any reproduction – the only picture being the interior of the cathedral. As for the famous map of K‘eomiwrchean (1691), why do neither the caption nor the article (p. 301) mention its amazing story: it was considered as lost until its discovery by chance in Bologna three centuries later! Let us add that usually a catalogue recalls, for each object, the former exhibitions where it has been already displayed: no such precision is given here for any of them.
The name “Kingdom of Cilicia” is a widespread mistake all over the exhibition and the catalogue. Such a kingdom has never existed: there has been in Cilicia a “Kingdom of Armenia,” so called by the Armenians as well as all their neighbors (Arabs, Greeks, Franks,…). To be geographically more precise, one may speak of “Cilician Armenia.” A few rooms away from Armenia!, the Museum has a permanent showcase containing some silver coins from that kingdom, where one can read explicitly “King of Armenia.” Why didn’t the exhibition display some of these coins?
As for the birth of this last Kingdom of Armenia far away from the motherland, there is a more serious problem. One reads that at some moment “Armenians moved into Cilicia” (p. 34), without any explanation. Were they tourists? The reason given elsewhere, “the Byzantine defeat at the battle of Manzikert” (p. 134), is absurd: that battle took place in 1071 between Byzantines and Seljuk Turks, it did not involve the Armenians. The real reason has to be found somewhat earlier, when these same Seljuk Turks captured Ani in 1064. Why is this event carefully ignored here, as it had been on p. 31, where one can read, without any explanation, that the monuments of Ani “stand even now in ruins”? These ruins are “on the modern closed border between the Turkish and Armenian Republics” (p. 66). On which side? And why is this border “closed”? While it is correctly recalled that the Kingdom of Cilician Armenia was destroyed by the Mamluks in 1375 (p. 164), why aren’t the Turks mentioned for the destruction of the Bagratid Kingdom of Ani in 1064? Anyway, the word ‘Turks’ is totally absent of the catalogue, as one can check it in the index. Is it by chance?
These questions lead us to some more political considerations. As we have seen, the exhibition begins with the Christianization of Armenia – which would make sense if it were explicit. It ends with the 18th century, allowing to omit the tragic fate of the Armenians from the 19th century on, and particularly the genocide.
Like the silence about the fate of Ani, several other indications are somewhat puzzling.
- One speaks of the “monastery of the Holy Apostles in Mush” (p. 97) without specifying that it was destroyed by the Turks during the 20th century.
- Among the jewels of this exhibition, one has already mentioned the carved door of the Surb Karapet monastery, also in Mush (p. 109). How did this door survive the destruction of the whole monument? Why isn’t there a single word about that? Maybe because any answer would necessarily include the word ‘genocide.’
- The only explicit mention of depravity concerns the cemetery of khachkars of Julfa, in Nakhchivan. One reads (p. 91) that they “were deliberately destroyed in the 1990s, in an attempt to eliminate any trace of Armenian presence from the region”. Although the date is wrong – it took place in 2005 – there is at least a correct mention. But why isn’t the name of Azerbaijan, the author of this crime, mentioned?
- This province of Nakhchivan counted many monasteries, which had been photographed before their complete destruction by Azerbaijan. There is not a single trace of any of them, neither in the exhibition nor in the catalogue. Is it in order to avoid putting that State in accusation?
- Monuments of Lori, Siwnik‘ or Vaspurakan are largely mentioned, but those of Arts‘akh-Karabagh, which are not less important, are practically absent, in particular the famous monastery of Gandzasar, briefly mentioned only once (p. 178), which did not deserve any picture or commentary. Is that in order to avoid speaking of Azerbaijan’s claims?
In one word, as in each case, it is obvious that Turks and Azeris were aware of that exhibition from the very beginning. Did they make pressure on the authorities in order to avoid the mention of anything that could recall their criminal policy towards Armenians? Let us consider another hypothesis: the friendly relations of the United States towards these ‘Republics’ may have resulted in an automatic censorship by the Museum authorities themselves.
Finally, the incredible absence of any map may enter very well in such a frame. Maps are potentially dangerous: they suppose borders, presence of populations, leading one to ask why the Armenians, so numerous and active in such or such area, have totally disappeared there. The answer has to come from Ankara and Baku.         
This exhibition is included in the Museum entrance ticket, so that a lot of people pass through it. I paid attention to these visitors: it was obvious that they were delighted by the beauty of what they saw, but also obvious that they did not understand anything of the context. What a waste! Armenia has still to wait…
As a conclusion, one can say that ‘Armenia !’ is a fabulous display of Christian Armenian art until the 18th century, but that as an Armenian exhibition it is a complete failure, unworthy of an institution as famous as the Metropolitan Museum of Art.




11 comments:

  1. Claude, with all due respect, "what a waste"?!? Yes, a lot more could've and should've been offered/exibited. That is infact a claim to local (i.e. Armenian authorities/representatives). But to consider those peaces displaied in MET a waste, that's ignorant I think. Thank you.

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    1. You may want to read the final paragraphs: "I paid attention to these visitors: it was obvious that they were delighted by the beauty of what they saw, but also obvious that they did not understand anything of the context. What a waste! Armenia has still to wait…"
      As a conclusion, one can say that ‘Armenia !’ is a fabulous display of Christian Armenian art until the 18th century, but that as an Armenian exhibition it is a complete failure, unworthy of an institution as famous as the Metropolitan Museum of Art."
      Clearly, the author considers a waste that the "fabulous display of Christian Armenian art" has not turned into a display of Armenia, because of the lack of proper context. As someone who visited the exhibition, I was just taken aback by the fact that any casual visitor who got for the first time in contact with Armenian art (the type that could very well confuse Armenia with Romania or Albania) did not have a single map that give him a geographical clue about the location of Armenia. The only map available is the atlas printed in 1695, which, unfortunately for him or her, is written in Armenian...

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  2. Claude, I salute you on your many original observations. My response is simply research note observations and links.

    1. THE WHY QUESTION: Was it intentional to avoid many "Why" questions in the exhibition artefact labels and its catalogue? With the benefit of your analysis it's hard to disagree. So visitors will experience the words largely aesthetically rather than with understanding of the broader context relevant to what the Armenian experience delivers to the world. Visitors who dig a bit may wonder: Why are these Armenian people living and creating in exile? Why was the Armenian Kingdom of Cilcia formed? Why is there so little left for a culture that has almost 3,000 years of history? Why are the ruins of one of the biggest cities in the world in the 11th century, Ani (with 100,000 dwellers), lying in such a parlous state rotting in Turkey?

    2. CURATOR PERSPECTIVE/EXPERTISE: At the outset it is important to recognise the perspective and expertise of Helen Evans, the curator of the exhibition, is of course grounded in art history. That's evident in her video interview with Salpi Gharzarian on 9 Aug 2018. LINK: “ARMENIA! and Armenian Studies at the Met”. LINK: https://youtu.be/6d_-ZR9v1g0

    3. EXHIBITION SYMPOSIUM: To its credit the exhibition symposium on 3 November 2018 did not avoid the questions above Why. LINK on Facebook (not available on The Met's YouTube channel): https://www.facebook.com/metmuseum/videos/320237418776795/UzpfSTY3ODUyMTk2NjoxMDE1NjkzMzE3MTQzMTk2Nw/

    4. Peter Balakian is the last speaker in that video. He speaks eloquently on the topic of Krikor Balakian's 1909 book (translated now into English) titled The Ruins of Ani. [Book review LINK https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/the-ruins-of-ani/] He notes that it is important to note "cultural destruction as a dimension of genocide". In his talk Balakian quotes statistics compiled by Ormanian (spelling?) on the extent of destruction of the Armenian built environment during and after the genocide:
    • About 2,500 churches
    • About 1,900 schools
    • About 451 monasteries

    5. MUSEUM VISITOR NUMBERS: However few will listen to the symposium video. Compare the numbers who go to museums. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has for years been New York's most visited tourist attraction. Its three locations in the city attracted seven million visitors in 2017. Curatorial expenses in fiscal 2016-17 amounted to US$124 million (source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/258523/expenses-of-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-in-new-york/)

    6. CULTURAL GENOCIDE AND INTERNATIONAL LAW: Your critique gains significance in the context of international law. While Raphael Lemkin would probably have liked to have destruction of culture as an act of genocide, it was not to be. But the phrase "cultural genocide" does appear in Article 7 of the United Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Before going further, it is useful to record the wording of Article 7. The full Declaration is here: Full Declaration. LINK:
    https://www.humanrights.gov.au/publications/un-declaration-rights-indigenous-peoples-1

    7. Article 7 reads as follows (emphasis added):

    "Indigenous peoples have the collective and individual right not to be subjected to ethnocide and **cultural genocide**, including prevention of and redress for:
    (a) Any action which has the aim or effect of depriving them of their integrity as distinct peoples, or of their cultural values or ethnic identities;
    (b) Any action which has the aim or effect of dispossessing them of their lands, territories or resources;
    (c) Any form of population transfer which has the aim or effect of violating or undermining any of their rights;
    (d) Any form of assimilation or integration by other cultures or ways of life imposed on them by legislative, administrative or other measures;
    (e) Any form of propaganda directed against them."

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  3. Point 8 follows, left out from the prior comment to fit within Blogspot's comments word limit.

    8. ARMENIA! EXHIBITION REVIEWS: Finally, here's links to three exhibition reviews. Yours Claude is the most exceptional. It's followed by the one below by Gini Alhadeff. Unlike most reviewers Alhadeff interviewed the exhibition’s curator Dr Helen Evans, and Alhadeff is a self-described Mediterranean with several identities.

    The New York Review of Books, by Gini Alhadeff “The Prophets, Angels, & Churches of ‘Armenia!’” https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2018/11/18/prophets-angels-churches-of-armenia/

    New York Times “Reverent Beauty: The Met’s Armenia Show Is One for the Ages” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/arts/design/armenia-exhibition-review-metropolitan-museum-of-art.html

    Armenian Weekly, Florence Avakian - https://armenianweekly.com/2018/06/21/dr-helen-evans-presents-metropolitan-museums-armenia-exhibition-in-new-york/Claude Mutafian, 1 December 2018
    https://armeniaca-haygagank.blogspot.com/2018/11/about-armenia-exhibition-at.html?m=1

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  4. Thank you for all these precisions and corrections.
    I have a question :
    In the catalogue (page 295) about the Book of Friday , it says that Hakob's printer mark has never been deciphered, is this true?

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    1. To my best knowledge, there is not a final consensus for the meaning of the printer mark DIZA. K. Basmajian has suggested Dei servus (Servant of God), Iakobus (Hakob), Zanni (Hovhannesian), Armenius (Armenian), which appears to be the most accepted, at least in Armenia.

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    2. That's what I thought, thank you

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  5. Կարծես թէ մեր ազգային նկարագիրն է սա – միշտ փնտռել, գտնենլ և քննադատել կէտեր, առանց կռահելու ամբողջութեան կարևորութիւնը։ Անկարող ենք տեսնելու խոշոր պատկերը. անվերջ խոչընդոտներ կ՚ ստեղծենք մեր ճամբուն վրայ ու կը սայթաքինք։ Արդեօք այդ ձևով է որ մենք մեզի կ՚ ապացուցանենք թէ որքան շատ բա՞ն գիտենք։

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  6. Let it be known that many Armenologists are not in agreement with the opinions published above.

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  7. I think you're giving the Met waaaay too much credit... https://www.metmuseum.org/press/exhibitions/2019/play-it-loud

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