Upheaval is social art action event aimed at creating a space for bringing general public and newly arrived refugees together as one to voice out their struggles and foster their integration in Armenia.“Upheaval” was dedicated to the World Refugee day. The recycled boxes that the participants were painting on symbolized home that some people have lost and some people have rebuilt. People from all walk of life, both locals and the refugees tried to rebuild their home, talked their losses, their grieves and their hopes on the boxes. Hundreds of boxes were created that day, which later on started their journey already as an installation in various areas in Yerevan and Gyumri to be exhibited among the demolished buildings carrying the message of rebuilding the homes again. The project was implemented in close cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for for Refugees (UNHCR).
Art and artistic expression are powerful tools for raising awareness on social, political and economical issues of the country and contribute to the promotion of social activism among the youth has become vital in our society. There are a lot of channels of information dissemination for the public, nevertheless great majority of public, and youth particularly are not aware and sometimes involved in current occurrences in Armenia not being in the hot spot of daily happenings. Socially engaged art is the one of the best formats of providing alternative information.
The art action was made possible by the financial support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as a part of “Alternative Resources in Media sources in Media” program.
