Achot Achot

A French artist of Armenian origin, Achot Achot was one of the founding members of the avant-garde Armenian movement known as the Third Floor in Yerevan before creating a stir in 1989 in Paris at the Salpetrière chapel in a show titled The Avant-Garde from Armenia to Paris. Achot Achot exhibits internationally: his theoretically-informed art is also remarkable for its technical and artistic qualities. Since 1988 his work has followed the dictates of a movement that he founded, which among other things sees itself as the ‘last example/denomination of abstract art,’ a meditative and spiritual art that is meant to have a profound effect on the viewer. His art is spiritual, not religious. Achot Achot’s painted work represents an original form that he repeats indefinitely using different means and media ('supports'). Although visually different, Achot’s photographic work is linked to a concept in his painting which he terms afactum, a name which he gives to all of his artistic creations: painting, photography, video, installation pieces etc… His photographic work takes up the spiritual basis that one finds in his painting, which is the source of his true innovation. His compositions are laden with unconscious and visual references to Armenian culture and to Western art historical traditions. Yet in this new approach to photography he eschews the use of narrative mise-en-scène, and storylines: rather, the work is a meditative, contemplative process. As in painting, each photograph is unique, the result of numerous studies on paper and in-situ research. Achot Achot’s work lies somewhere between abstraction and figuration, two categories that he uses interchangeably, always following however the same ‘mediatative field’ that one finds in his numerous writings.

Shoghakate Kazarian

2007 Musée Muséum départemental de Gap, France  

2006 Museum of Contemporary Art, Yerevan, Armenia 

2006 NPAK, Center of Experimental and Contemporary Art, ACEEA, Yerevan, Armenia

2005 Artcore Gallery, Paris1999 Atelier Planchat, Paris

1999 TPG Gallery, Geneva, Switzerland 1998 La Fleur d’Or Gallery Paris, France

1995 Les Cents Gallery, Paris, France 

1988 Panévégis Town Church, Lithuania 1981 National Conservatory of Armenia.

2011 "triple saut", Galerie SEINE 51, Paris, France

EGO, 4e festival international d'art contemporain, Tcherkassy, Ukraine

2010 "Hold the line", Galerie SEINE 51, Paris, France

2009 "voulu/obligé", 53e Biennale de Venise, Italie

thisPLACEd, Tallin, Estonie

2008 "Armar Armenia", Buenos Aires, ArgentineWhite now!, Galerie SEINE 51, Paris, France

2007 "I colori dell'Armenia", Castel Sant Angelo, Roma, Italia

"L'art contemporain d'Arménie", Orangerie du Luxembourg, Paris, France

"under_construction : visual dialogue", curators : Silvina Ter-Meguerditchian et Barbara Höffer ( catalogue ), Venise, Italie

"Grand Bleu : rêves de la mer entre Gyumri, Erevan et Paris", galerie Artcore, Paris, France

EGO, 3e festival international d'art contemporain, Ezanville, France

2006 "Grand Bleu : rêves de la mer entre Gyumri, Erevan et Paris", Gevorgyan gallery, Erevan, ArménieBiennale Internationale d'art contemporain, Gyumri, Arménie

2005 “EGO – INDEPENDENCIA” MAMM, Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellin, Colombia// EGO Performance Art Festival, Manizales, Colombia; EGO Performance Art Festival, Medellin, Colombia 

2004 “Healing of Art,” Los-Angeles, USA; EGO International Contemporary Art, Ezanville,France (catalogue); “Abstract Art in Armenia,” Akanat Gallery, Yerevan, Armenia (catalogue)

2003 Dynamism and the Development of Abstract Art in Armenian in the 1980’s and 1990’s, Akanat Gallery, Yerevan, Armenia (catalogue); ”Bunker,” 7th Annual Art Fair and Festival at Park Labrea, Los Angeles, California, “Extra muros,” “Le 148” art space, Alfortville, France (catalogue) “Getting closer,” IFA – Gallery, Bonn, Germany, curated by Mika Hannula (catalogue)// “Getting closer,” IFA –Gallery, Berlin, Grmany, curated by Mika Hannula( (catalogue )// “Bunker,” Don O’Melveny Gallery, Hollywood, C.A , USA//”Homeless Art,” Enisen Gallery, Los Angeles, USA 

2002 Loisirs et Culture, Ezanville, France 2001 “Bunker,” Los Angeles, USA// “Beyond icons,” National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan/ “Art Bunker in Moscow,” ZDH, Moscow, Russia 2000 “Engrenage extrême,” YVART Gallery, Paris// “Tentation céleste,”/”Celestial Temptation,” Groupe ABRI, Paris// “Bunker,” Los-Angeles, USA 

1998 “verbe/expression” Ezanville, France 1997 “Dreams and Visions,” Chicago, USA; “On the way 20 – 21 Antwerp, Belgium (catalogue); “Ouverture, Regards du monde; “Openings, Views of the World” Le Toit de La Grande Arche, Paris; “Estampes contemporaines,” Ezanville, France

1996 “Works from the collection of the TAAK Gallery,” Kiev, Ukraine 1995 “Stream of Fire,” Nicosia, Cyprus (catalogue)

1993 “IDENTIFICATION,” Museum of Modern Art of Yerevan, Armenia_1993 STIL Gallery, Yerevan, Arménie 1992 “9 – Nine,” Museum of Modern Art, Armenia

1991 “Art without Traces,” Festival of Happenings, Eregnadzor, Armenia ”Contemporary Art,” Museum of Modern Art, Armenia, 1990 Détroit, USA// Museum of Modern Art, Yerevan, Armenia

1989 “666,” Yerevan, Armenia// 2nd Happenings Festival, Anikstchaï, Lithuania; “The Avant-Garde from Armenia to Paris, Chapelle de la Salpêtrière, Paris (catalogue)

1988 1er festival de happenings à Anikstchaï, Lituania, Panevegis, Lithuania

1987 “Third Floor,” Yerevan, Armenia.

Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellin, Colombia;

HAI ART Museum of Contemporary Art, Yerevan, Armenia;

Museum of Contemporary Art of Armenia, Yerevan;

Museum of the City of Panévégis, Lithuania;

Ministry of Culture of Armenia;

Center of Contemporary Art in Giumri; Armenia.