Armen AGOP

I

n a contemporary art world where popularity resides in a loud statement, Armen Agop prefers the solidarity of silence. Somewhat counter-cultural in thought and principle, his works exhibit his core values. Severe and idealistic, each piece displays a solid sphere of influence stemming from an unyielding vortex and continuing out to an optimistic point. There is more silence than expression, but then there is no need to express. It resides in a world of ascetic values and sincere initiatives where talking is excessive.
Agop himself prefers not to speak about his work, saying instead that he shares a part of his life with a piece and when it is finished, what comes out is a certain way of being. Now that being has its meeting with you.

Rebecca Bell about Armen Agop

Works

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Biography

  • 1969Born in Cairo, Egypt
  • 1982 – 1987Apprenticed in the studio of the painter Simon Shahrigian, Cairo, Egypt
  • 1987 – 1992Graduated from the sculpture department in the Faculty of Fine Arts, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
  • 1997 – 2000Assistant Researcher Scholarship (teaching in the Faculty of Fine Arts), Cairo, Egypt
  • 1998Sculpture prize, Autumn Salon, Cairo, Egypt
  • 2000 – 2001Agop wins the “PRIX DE ROME” State Award for Artistic Creativity, Cairo, Rome
  • 2001Second Prize, Biennale Internazionale d’arte Contemporanea di Firenze, Italy
  • 2006Artist In Residence, Coral Spring Museum of Art, Florida, USA
  • 2008K.K.V. Bohuslan Stone Grant, Sweden
  • 2008The Sculpture Grant given once a year to a prominent international sculptor by the Swedish organization KKV-B, is handed to Armen Agop.
  • 2010Agop receives the International Umberto Mastroianni award.
  • 2013Armen Agop is awarded the Presidential Medal of the Italian Republic
  • 2018Agop lives and works in Pietrasanta, Italy

Exhibitions

  • 2021“Prendere il Tempo”, Galleria Flora Bigai, Pietrasanta, Italy
  • 2019“MANTRA”, Meem Gallery, Dubai, UAE
  • 2018“Emergence”, solo exhibition, LKFF Art & Sculpture Projects, Brussels, Belgium
  • 2016“Medley” Gallery Ward Dubai
  • 2015“Transcontemporary”, Solo exhibition, Art Plural Gallery, Singapore
  • 2014“Touch”, Solo exhibition, LKFF Art & Sculpture Projects, Brussels, Belgium
  • 2014“Highly Recommended: Emerging Sculptors,” Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
  • 2014“Fifth Exhibition of the Center’s Friends,” Youth Creative Art Center, Doha, Qatar
  • 2013“Sculptures”, Selma Feriani Gallery, Tunis, Tunisia
  • 2012“Sculptures” Selma Feriani Gallery, London, United Kingdom
  • 2012“Double Identity” Flora Bigai Gallery, Pietrasanta, Italy
  • 2011Marrakech Art Fair 2, Morroco; Fine Art Asia 2011, Koru Gallery, Hong Kong; Koru Spring Show 2011; Hong Kong; ArteFiera, Bologna, Flora Bigai Gallery, Italy; Art Stage Singapore, Bartha & Senarclens Partners, Singapore; MENASART-FAIR, Beirut, Lebanon
  • 2011“Still Valid” American University in Cairo, Egypt
  • 2011“SculpturSpark” Hunnebostrand Skulpturpark, Sweden
  • 2011“Familiar features” FA gallery, Kuwait
  • 2011“Small Format” LKFF Art & Sculpture projects,Brussels, Belgium
  • 2010Villa Empain – The Path of Elegance between the East and the West, Brussels, Belgium, Belgium
  • 2010Solo Exhibition, LKFF Art & Sculpture Projects, Brussels, Belgium, Belgium
  • 2010Solo Show, Al Markhiya Gallery, Doha, Qatar
  • 2010Contemporary Istanbul, Zamalek Art Gallery, Turkey
  • 2009Rosa Park Museum, Montgomery, Alabama, USA, United States
  • 2009“Undercurrent” Art Sawa gallery, Dubai
  • 2009Veksolund Gallery, Denmark
  • 2009“Mediterranean Crossroads” Palazzo Montecitorio, Rome, Italy, Italy
  • 2009“Sommersalon 2009”, Galerie am Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin, Germany, Germany
  • 2009“II eme Festival Culturel Africain”, Algeria
  • 2009International art exhibition “Premio Sulmona”, Sulmona, Italy, Italy
  • 2009“Panorama of Egyption Sculpture”, Zamalek Art Gallery, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2009Salla delle Grasce, Pietrasanta, Italy, Italy
  • 2009“Una Finestra Sul Mondo”, Diocesano Museum, Catania, Italy, Italy
  • 2009International Sculpture Symposium of Giuliano Di Roma, Italy
  • 2009“The Hatching”, B21 Gallery, Dubai, UAE
  • 2008Must gallery, Misr University For Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2008“Salon gallery”, Art Palace, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2008Horizons 1 Gallery, Giza, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2008International art exhibition “Premio Sulmona”, Sulmona, Italy, Italy
  • 2008Solo exhibition, Zamalek Art Gallery, Cairo, Egypt, Italy
  • 200811th Cairo International Biennale, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2008Veksolund Gallery, Vekso, Denmark, Denmark
  • 2007Veksolund Gallery, Vekso, Denmark, Denmark
  • 2007International art exhibition “Premio Sulmona”, Sulmona, Italy, Italy
  • 2006Veksolund, Denmark
  • 2006Zamalek Art Gallery, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2006Horizons 1, Gallery, Egypt
  • 2005Solo Exhibition, Center of Art, Ekhnaton I Gallery, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2005Premier Sculpture Salon, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2005“Lo spirito della pietra”, Accademia nazionale di San Luca, San Lucca, Italy, Italy
  • 2005“Egyptian Contemporary Art”, Toledo, Spain, Spain
  • 2005Toyamura International Sculpture Biennale, Japan
  • 2005Solo Exhibition, Centro Culturale L. Russo, Pietrasanta, Italy, Italy
  • 2005“The Egyptian Contemporary Abstraction”, Ebdaa Gallery, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2005M.P.V. Gallery, Heusden, Belgium, Netherlands
  • 2004Palazzo Pretorio, Volterra, Italy, Italy
  • 2004Campo d’arte, Camaiore, Italy, Italy
  • 2004Icheon International Sculpture Symposium, Icheon, Corea, South Korea
  • 2003Teatro Animosi, Carrara, Italy, Italy
  • 2003Guillin Yuzi Paradise International Sculpture Exhibition, China
  • 2003Elogio della mano, Chiesa del Suffragio, Carrara, Italy, Italy
  • 2003Bergen Fylkesgalleri, Bergen, Norway , Norway
  • 2003Galleri Stensalen KKV-Bohuslan, Sweden
  • 2003Toyamura International Sculpture Biennale, Japan
  • 2002State Prize of Artistic Creativity Exhibition, Egyptian Academy, Rome, Italy, Italy
  • 2002Cloister of St. Augustino, Pietrasanta, Italy, Italy
  • 2002“Scultori dalla Provincia di Lucca”, Florida International University, United States
  • 2002International Sculpture Symposium of Comblain-au-pont, Belgium
  • 2001Winter Art Festival of Sarajevo, Bosnia, Bosnia
  • 2001“Young Egyptian Artists”, Egyptian Academy, Rome, Italy, Italy
  • 2001“Diari Di Lavoro Di Artisti Stranieri A Roma”, National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome, Italy, Italy
  • 2001International Biennale of Contemporary Art of Florence, Florence, Italy, Italy
  • 2000Salon of Small Format, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2000Safar Khan Gallery, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2000Karim Francis Gallery, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 2000Aswan International Sculpture Symposium, Egypt
  • 2000Art Plural, Avant Premiere,Group Show, Singapore
  • 1999National Exhibition of Plastic Art, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 1998Salon of Small Format, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 1998Genzgenger International Sculpture Symposium, Braunau, Austria, Austria
  • 1998Solo Exhibition, Buschlen Mowatt, Vancouver, BC, USA
  • 1997Autumn Salon, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
  • 1997National Exhibition of Plastic Art, Cairo, Egypt, Egypt

Collections

  • Egyptian Modern Art Museum, Cairo, Egypt
  • City Hall of Braunau, Austria
  • El Karor Square, Aswan, Egypt
  • Al Ahram Foundation, Cairo, Egypt
  • Aswan Open Air Museum, Aswan, Egypt
  • Open Air Museum of St. Martin Park, Comblain-au-pont, Belgium
  • Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Ltd (Mariner of the Seas) USA
  • Museo dei Bozzetti, Pietrasanta, Italy
  • Icheon City Hall, South Korea
  • Landmark Mandarin Hotel, Central, Hong Kong, China
  • Coral Spring Museum of Art, Florida, USA
  • Venetian Macao Resort Hotel, Macao, China
  • Stratton House, London, England
  • The Upper House, Hong Kong, China
  • John Hightower, USA
  • Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar
  • Villa Empain, Brussels, Belgium
  • Giardino di Piazza Stazione in Barge

Press

Ad Armen Agop il premio Mastroianni. L’artista egiziano dal 2000 vive e lavora a Pietrasanta

Il Tirreno, Italy


Bibliography

  • 2015Armen Agop, Texts by Ruben de la Nuez & Gillian de Boer, 82 pg, Art Plural Gallery, Singapore
  • 2012Armen Agop, Text by Maurizio Vanni, exhibition catalogue, 50 pg, Gallery Flora Bigai, Italy
  • 2010Armen Agop, Text by Rebecca Bell & Victor Hugo Riego, exhibition catalogue, 44 pg, LKFF Art & Sculpture Projects, Belgium
  • 2005Armen Agop, Text byIlaria Cipriani, 38 pg, Comune de Pietrsanta, Italy