Meeting with Jean-Marie Fondacaro

Naregatsi Art Institute hosted French sculptor Jean-Marie Fondacaro

On September 18, Naregatsi Art Institute hosted the meeting with French sculptor Jean-Marie Fondacaro within the framework of the Cultural Exchange Program. The event evolved into a creative, meaningful, and warm dialogue between the artist and Armenian youth.

In attendance at the meeting were students from the State Academy of Fine Arts of Armenia and the P. Terlemezyan State College of Fine Arts in Yerevan, as well as students from the NAI painting group and art critics.

The evening began with the screening of short films depicting the master's creative path, followed by an open conversation. Jean-Marie Fondacaro spoke about his professional experience, the significance of sculpture, and his constant rediscovery of himself through art.

Welcoming the French guest, Nareg Hartounian, founder of the Naregatsi Art Institute, emphasized the importance of such meetings for the professional and spiritual growth of the younger generation. "There are encounters in life that help foster and accelerate a creative awakening. I am confident that this meeting will be one of them for our young people," he noted.

As a token of respect and gratitude, Nareg Hartounian presented the French master with a valuable book presenting the art of sculptor Arto Tchakmaktchian.

This visit of Jean-Marie Fondacaro to Armenia also has a remarkable, warm background. The master is here with his childhood friend, Asadur Avakian, thanks to whose stories he has known Armenia from afar for years, and now for the first time has had the opportunity to personally communicate with Armenian culture. In Yerevan, they met French-Armenian Pierre Baghdadian, through whose initiative and in collaboration with NAI, this highly anticipated masterclass became a reality.