The trip started with a tour of  the National Museum of Architecture and Urban Life of Gyumri followed by a visit to the house museum of Sergei Merkurov. The groups then stopped at Berlin Art Hotel, where a master class was delivered by a young artist Karen Barseghyan from Gyumri, who presented his unique working technique to the project participants. The young painters were excited to experiment with this new technique that combined collage and painting elements with the use of different materials.  

Karen Barseghyan born in 1979 in Gyumri. He graduated from the Yerevan Academy of Fine Arts in 2003. He has participated in a one month exchange program at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, USA.

Barseghyan has shown his artworks in Armenia and Europe and has curated some exhibitions in Gyumri and VII Gyumri International Biennial. Barseghyan is co-founder of 15/3 art group (2007). He lives and works in Gyumri. His works are on permanent display at Berlin Art Hotel in Gyumri. Karen’s work was also shown in three solo exhibitions.
A tour  of the central squares and streets of the city completed the visit to Gyumri. 

         
The project was launched on September 1 and its activities will continue through September 7.

Culture is one of the possible tracks for promoting dialogue between the societies of Armenia and Turkey. More specifically, artistic activity can help an effective interchange since it does not need translation and mediation, and it transmits messages and creates bonds using the universal language of art. With this in mind the Public Journalism Club, in partnership with Anadolu Kültür, has launched the “Exchange of Painters” project focusing on the role of art in promoting Armenia-Turkey relations.