Lebanon

By the presence of His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics, On Sunday the 20th of July 2008, in the Armenian Patriarchate hall at 6:00 pm, a gathering was held on the occasion of the transportation of Raffi Yedalian’s “Surviving Witnesses” painting to the Armenian Genocide museum in Yerevan.

In his opening speech, the parish priest of Our Lady of Annunciation church Father Vartan Kazandjian mentioned that the commemoration of the 93rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on the night of April 23, 2008 was an opportunity to express the pain and struggle of the Armenian people through art. He also added that the idea of Yedalian’s painting was unique in its kind.

Raffi Yedalian in his turn told that the “Surviving Witnesses” painting holds the fingerprints of 301 Lebanese to signify themselves as live witnesses of the Armenian Genocide. Yedalian also mentioned that the placing of the artwork in the Genocide museum in Dzidzernagapert will be a new witness condemning the Genocide.

At the end of his speech Yedalian mentioned that 93rd anniversary has marked a significant effect on his artistic path, because he was able to bring his humble participation through the artwork.

At the end, Father Vartan informed the audience about the special postcards of the same painting, the financial income of which will serve to cover the expenses of transporting the painting to Armenia.