Lilli Bagradyans
photographed by grisha petrosyan
LILLI, WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW?
So, this is a place with a huge collection of stories, let's put it this way. I discovered it roundabout five years ago. I have my roots in Armenia and my deep thoughts in painting. This is my studio. I consider it as a storage full of art, history and spirit. Actually Germans have the right word for it, that no other language has – „Zeitgeist“ which technically means the spirit of a time. I find it very romantic how the german language actually recreats a new meaning by coombinig words. The architect in me wanted to reactivate the whole house and do a charming hotel for creatives and friends of friends, because I could work and find peace for myself. Also, because it's out of town, it's like very far away from the city life in an old authentic armenian village. I think there is a beauty that you go to places and reactivate them. As you can see the studio has a very special meaning to me and the fireplace in it is the cherry on top. Everyone who knows me well, knows how much reflection and regeneration I gain from just sitting by the fire. When I come here I feel the most completed.
IS THIS LIKE AN ART STUDIO?
Yeah, on it's way becoming one.
AND YOU WORK IN THIS ROOM?
Exclusively, yes. This is my artist studio in Armenia. I work and paint here.
IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR THING THAT YOU LIKE HERE THE MOST?
For sure. It's this fireplace. I love fire.
BUT YOU aRE FROM BERLIN?
Oh, I should have said that before, ha-ha. Okay, so Im a german-armenian artist and architect predominantly working and living in Berlin. I come to Armenia every year.
DO YOU USUALLY COME DURING SUMMER OR WINTER?
Actually I come four times the year. Im obsessed with the fact that Armenia has the four seasons how they are – every season is visible to it's fullest, so it's 100% winter, it's 100% autumn, it's 100% summer and 100% spring. On this planet, you don't have that many places where you can feel the four seasons this way – and sadly those places are becoming even more less. So I come every season at least once, which makes four times the year. It's the least I come to Armenia.
DO YOU ALSO HAVE AN ART STUDIO IN BERLIN?
Yes, I do. One is in Kreuzberg and the main one, again out of town between four lakes. And last summer I had an artist residency in the north of france, in Normandy. I worked there for almost 6 months and now back in Berlin.
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR WORK? WHAT DO YOU DO AS AN ARTIST AND AS AN ARCHITECT?
Sure. So I do have a quite unconventional CV. As an artist I have never studied but always have been surrounded by great artists and art historians. I have been painting throughout my whole life so far. There are people who only know and consider me as an artist. But, I actually did my Masters in Architecture and also have realized different projects as a freelancer or in international planning offices. I do feel more empowered by owning both abilities since these two take over an incredible dynamic and synergy. There is for example a project I did for Amensty International, where I painted a 90qm big firewall. I found myself in the intersection of art and architecture and loved the feeling of owning both in me. In my life, I am in a chapter where I do feel that soon I am going to anchor my abilities.
During that time when I worked as an architect, I spent two years in Johannesbourg, South Africa. This also marks the birth of my artist career. As mentioned before, I have been painting throughout my life and I've been raised with paintings and sculptures since my dad is a phenomenal artist. It has always been part of me but I never really focused on it. In Johannesburg I suddenly started to do it more and more. Together with a local photographer I founded the collective „ZIBAYO“. I painted with oil on a transparent foil, he took incredible potraits. At the end we layered them together analogally: the object/subject, my transparent painting and then the lense of the camera. There was no post production as in Photoshop or anything involved. The results were amazing. Now I paint more „conventionally“ acrylic on canvas. From time to time I also use different materials and then react naturally what I am going to use. I do not want to limit myself by using only one material. As said, I also do big scale paintings which again sometimes goes back to the architecture too. They always kind of come together art and architecture, it's always connected.
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOUR ART?
Im currently working on a big exhibition which is probably going to have it's debut in Argentina. I think this is going to be the biggest exhibition I had so far. I feel, for a long time, It has been difficult for me to define me as an artist or as an architect. It has always been kind of a dilemma and had an impact on how I have been presenting my art. I did have a bunch of exhibitions and can't complain about sales but it was more word of mouth. And now, finally, I'm there where I can say I'm both definitely and absolutely. And soon, with the exhibition, I'll have a starting date where things will go differently and more publicly.
HOW CAN WE LEARN ABOUT THE EXHIBITION?
From my side it will be on my website which will be online next year and also on my instagram @ZIBAYO.
THAT ARE YOUR PLANS AS AN ARTIST, WHAT'S ON THE LIST AS AN ARCHITECT?
Oh, thats even more exciting, ha-ha. So, Im an observer and Im someone full of ideas. I can't rest if they don't find their physical way to the reality. Armenia is a country with a history of many excape-waves. People fled for different reasons. That influences the architectural landscape since they leave behind their houses. There are so many different buildings in different stages of construction and every house tells a story. You see a house with beautiful round-bogen windows that is almost finished and has walls and stuff, and then one where only pillars or barely the reinforcing bars are constructed. To me there is a beauty to the idea of Reconstruction and Revitalization. I am currently working on a categorization of all the chosen „buildings“ which we will transform to different functions. Since they all come in a different stage of construction the outcome will be also very individual. And it's going to tell the story of each object „who lived here, why do they flee and what did they want to build here“. As an architect you want to react to that. You want to tell the stories and translate it to architecture.
WHAT WOULD THESE BUILDINGS BE WHEN THEY'RE DONE?
It depends. The size of the object and it's location will decide. We do plan small boutique hotels which will have seasonal but partly also permanent use for tourists or long term visitors. But we also focus on to establish more social living possibilities for the locals. Again, it depends where the object is situated.
SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD SOCIAL PROJECT. DO YOU PLAN SOMETHING ALSO FOR YOURSELF?
Yeah. I do have a dream house where old and new become one. I can't lie though since I think for me it's a mix of a bit of luxury but at the same time very rough. An artists house with a fireplace and pool but then also a big farm with dogs, horses and donkeys. I think that's also the artist and architect part in me that kind of influences how I see things.
