Quasi/Achot Achot

Quasi

Author: Achot Achot (Achot Ghazaryan)

Released in the format of the «April 16» exhibition dedicated to the «3rd Floor» group

Venue: Modern Art Museum, Yerevan

Year: 1989

A woman was standing in front of a work by Achot Achot exhibited in the show. Her ambiguous garments (a sort of day-or-night gown adorned with military épaulettes with a penis and hair on the front) convey the idea of « quasi », meaning « as if » in Latin. The work reflects on the patriotic activism around the conflict in Karabagh. While calling for high ideals, the political activists turned out to be corrupted leaders once they had access to power. It was a pretence of a revolution, a pretence of patriotism and political freedom. The dress displays the same pattern as on the canvas behind; both are made using screen print from the back. This is the repetition of what appears as random splash points at how history repeats itself, even when an event seems as accidental and unique.