Կենա՜ց 2.0 | Genatz 2.0!

video - documentation 

On January 11, 2026, salon plektrum transformed Café Arakil into a space of shared presence and artistic intervention with Genatz! 2.0, a performative dinner that wove together ritual, poetry, and dialogue. The evening began with Silvina Der Meguerditchian welcoming guests, framing the event as an act of resilience and collective imagination—a celebration of diasporic voices and the power of togetherness.
 

The night unfolded through a series of artistic toasts, each disrupting the familiar rhythm of dining with moments of reflection and creativity. Gary Vanisian, a filmmaker and writer, opened with a participatory ritual: guests passed around a piece of Armenian lavash, tearing off small pieces to symbolize unity and interdependence. Ani Menua, a writer and researcher, followed with seven evocative poems exploring language, displacement, and memory. Veronika Zablotsky, a political theorist, delivered a thought-provoking talk on diasporic identity, while Karen Jallatyan, a literature scholar, shared poems of Nikoghos Sarafian and Vahe Oshagan on migration and belonging. Silvina then performed Pul Payet, reading of three unpublished poems by Krikor Beledian, sprinkling sequins around the table as a gesture, evoking the fertile power of words. Finally, Tsolak Topchyan, a visual artist, gifted guests with hand-drawn postcards—a cartography of the evening’s shared time.

The night closed with a collective toast: all performers stood, raised their glasses, and echoed “Genatz!”—inviting guests to continue the conversation with their own spontaneous toasts. Genatz! 2.0 was more than a dinner; it was a living archive of diasporic storytelling, where art, ritual, and community intertwined.