Armenian Reporter:

Cafesjian Center for the Arts grand opening to feature Libenský Brychtová exhibition

Yerevan center to open November 7 and 8

Published: Thursday October 01, 2009

Horizon, 1992. Libenský Brychtová / Gerard L. Cafesjian Collection

Yerevan - A spectacular fireworks display on Saturday, November 7, will mark the beginning of the Grand Opening Celebration of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts at the Cascade monument in Yerevan. The Cascade has been completely transformed into one of the world's outstanding centers for contemporary art, at a cost of $35 million.

The center has invited the public to view all the renovations that have taken place inside the Cascade and enjoy a special schedule of exhibitions, lectures, book signings, concerts, and other events on November 8.

Libenský Brychtová: For Armenia

Among the exhibitions that will inaugurate the Cafesjian Center for the arts is Libenský Brychtová: For Armenia.

The Gerard L. Cafesjian Collection is one of the largest collections of modern glass found in any museum, and its holdings of works by the Czech couple are among the finest in the world. This exhibition, specially designed and installed by Jaroslava Brychtová herself, is a mere fragment of the overall Gerard L. Cafesjian collection, which contains over one hundred pieces by the celebrated couple.

The collaboration of Stanislav Libenský (1921-2002) and Ms. Brychtová spanned nearly five decades, and the couple is credited with elevating glass to the status of a fine art. They are two of the most influential artists to have worked in the medium during the 20th century. Considered "national treasures" in their homeland, the couple have exhibited widely in galleries and museums throughout the world, and their work is in numerous public and private collections.

"Their work shattered the prejudice against glass," Dr. Michael De Marsche, executive director of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts, stated. "Before Libenský Brychtová glass was used primarily for objects that were more decorative in nature. But Libenský Brychtová created work that was authentically modern. They fused monumental abstract shape with a material whose intense color and translucency is unmatched by any other. They demonstrated once and for all that glass could be applied to the more rigorously intellectual realm of large-scale sculpture."

Many of the works in For Armenia resemble Armenia's own traditional khachkar, or stone cross, infusing the work with spiritual meaning and forming a tangible link between the artists and the land they have grown to admire. The Libenský Brychtová relationship with Armenia dates back to the 1980s, when the artists studied the culture and history of Armenia. The devastation of the 1988 earthquake in Armenia had a profound impact on the artists, resulting in the creation of the triptych Silhouettes of the Town (1989), which is part of the Cafesjian Collection. "The Czech and Armenian nations have a lot of things in history that are quite similar," Ms. Brychtová stated in a recent visit to Yerevan. "I think the Armenian public will appreciate and understand what we are expressing in our art," she added.

Ms. Brychtová will make a rare personal appearance in Yerevan for the opening of the Center and for the exhibition Libenský Brycthtová: For Armenia. The artist will also appear at a number of the Center's opening events on November 8, including the Center's ribbon cutting ceremony, the opening reception for For Armenia, and a book signing for the book Libenský Brychtová.

What follows is part of the program for the Grand Opening of the center.

Opening Ceremony

Sunday, November 8, 10:00 a.m., Gallery One

The public is invited to celebrate the official opening of the Cafesjian Center for the Arts. Be present with numerous dignitaries, including the famous artist Jaroslava Brychtová, at the opening ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Book Signing, Jaroslava Brychtová

Sunday, November 8, 10:30 a.m., Museum Store

Two of the most influential glass artists of the 20th century, Libenský Brychtová redefined glassmaking and explored new relationships between light, space, and color. Meet Jaroslava Brychtová and gain intimate insight into her art and life. The book Libenský Brychtová will be available for purchase in the Museum Store.

Opening Reception, Libenský Brychtová: For Armenia

Sunday, November 8, 11:00 a.m., Sasuntsi Davit Hall

View an exhibition of the glass sculpture created by Czech couple Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová. See why these renowned artists are singlehandedly credited with expanding the limits of glass as a medium into the realm of fine art. Jaroslava Brychtová will be at the reception to greet guests and answer questions.

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