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Armenia should be the axis and gravitational center of Armenian life. The Prime Minister attends the opening of the exhibition of Arshile Gorky's "Untitled" graphic work

15.04.2026

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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the opening of the exhibition titled "Arshile Gorky. New York - Yerevan. A new acquisition" at the National Gallery of Armenia. The government acquired the world-famous American-Armenian artist's graphic work "Untitled" (1944) at an international auction, which is an important contribution to the replenishment of the national collection.

The event was attended by Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, Director of the National Gallery of Armenia Marina Hakobyan, representatives of the executive branch, artists, and guests.

The Prime Minister made a speech, congratulated everyone on this day, and noted that Arshile Gorky is one of the significant figures of world fine arts and fine arts of Armenian origin. "Our event today and the Government's decision have several meanings, and all these meanings, of course, are related to the following: we talk a lot about the fact that the state, statehood, the Republic of Armenia should be the axis and gravitational center of Armenian life. Our people have had different pages in history: sometimes the center of Armenian reality was Madras, sometimes, at some point, the center of Armenian reality was Istanbul, sometimes at some point, the center of Armenian reality was Tbilisi, at some point, the center of Armenian reality was Venice, etc. We say that the center of Armenian reality and life in all respects - cultural, ideological - is the Republic of Armenia. And this situation, which exists and must develop, must be permanent and not temporary."

According to Nikol Pashinyan, the overwhelming quantity of Armenian art and cultural heritage should be in the Republic of Armenia. According to the Prime Minister, this is not an isolated event, as a similar important event recently took place in the History Museum, and such an event has already been celebrated twice in the Matenadaran. Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that this is a policy that the Government has adopted and all opportunities will be used to bring the heritage of Armenian origin of art and culture to the Republic of Armenia and make it a lasting haven for these values.

In this context, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude to all citizens working in Armenia, creating results, and paying taxes prescribed by law, since Arshile Gorky's painting appeared in the Republic of Armenia thanks to thousands of tax-paying citizens.

Summing up his speech, Nikol Pashinyan also expressed gratitude to those who initiated and facilitated this process and brought it to its logical conclusion.

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Within the framework of the program for replenishing museum collections of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, implemented with state funds in 2025, the “Cultural Development” Foundation conducted inspections of the lists of values offered for sale by international auction houses and private galleries.

As a result of the inspections, it was found that the Sotheby’s auction house in London presents the graphic work “Untitled” (1944) (paper, pencil, 45.4 × 55.5 cm) by the world-famous American-Armenian artist Arshile Gorky. The starting price of the auction was 45,000 euros, and the expected maximum price was 70,000 euros.

During the auction held on December 3, 2025, the Government acquired this work for 30,978,000 (thirty million nine hundred seventy-eight thousand) drams and placed it in the National Gallery of Armenia.

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