'Armenia' Exhibition Curated by Professor Theo van Lint Opens at The Bodleian

NEWS |

Pembroke academic, Professor Theo van Lint, is the curator of an exhibition entitled Armenia: Masterpieces from an Enduring Culture, which runs from Friday 23rd October 2015 until 28th February 2016 at the newly renovated Weston Library in Oxford. Along with Robin Meyer, Lector in Latin and Greek Languages at the University of Oxford, he is responsible for putting together the first major UK exhibition of Armenian materials in almost 15 years.

Armenia showcases more than 100 objects that demonstrate the achievements of a nation with a fascinating and often turbulent history. 2015 marks the centenary of the genocide perpetrated against the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during WWI. In their honour, the Bodleian’s Armenia exhibition displays a rich cache of objects spanning more than two thousand years of cultural history.

Theo van Lint has been Calouste Gulbenkian Professor of Armenian Studies at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Pembroke College since 2002. His research interests include the development of the Armenian poetic tradition and the reception of Ezekiel’s Throne Vision in Armenian literature and art. 

‘Armenian culture has shaped humanity and given it great gifts, from precious manuscripts, literature and art to religious and secular music', explains van Lint. 'In this exhibition, we present to the public the historical, artistic and other cultural achievements of a people not often in the focus of the public eye, in an effort to educate, fascinate and create a dialogue between nations and peoples.’

To complement the exhibition, the Bodleian Library has also published a book - Armenia: Masterpieces from an Enduring Culture (2015) - edited by Theo van Lint and Robin Meyer, which tells the story of Armenia through its rich cultural history.