About Us

I was inside a community created within the surviving factory building and the shadows of the past. It felt so strange to notice a completely new smell – the smell of life – in a strictly defined area that would otherwise smell musty and stinking. Deteriorated and crumbly surfaces took on a surprisingly cheerful note. The walls featured new paintings and omnipresent traces of the artists [...] The “creative” factory in the center of a former industrial town raises questions that hover in the air. Will Tumanyan embrace the creative spirit of the factory…? Will Abastan be able to reignite the eternal cycle of the machinery? Will it be a space to learn and see for the residents of Tumanyan…?

A few years ago, a new project came about to revitalize and redefine life in this town. Because it's a beautiful place! How could life come back here? How could jobs be created? How can one attract tourists? And Abastan and our participants who came here fit seamlessly into this big picture of revitalization. Of course, words like "revival" carry a lot of responsibility. Even understanding these words, what it will be, what is being discussed right now, at the stage of conversation and experimentation. But we hope to collaborate with other people who are doing projects here. We plan to work with the local community to create new opportunities. So when we think of Abastan, we think of it [...] as a project that will be a part of other local initiatives.to be added

It is always hard for artists and creative people to find their place in society, especially in difficult conflict times. Today, when the whole world seems to be on fire, many are forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in new places. This is how the idea of "Abastan" was born - a refuge for artists in the picturesque town of Tumanyan in the Lori region of Armenia.