Hello Edgeryders!

[vahagn]

I am an artist, ARTivist, youth worker, cycling activist and yoga trainer from Armenia. I am freelancer and I love the challenge of living / riding / ryding on the edge, improvising on the subject of employment / earning / making a living. I do arts and crafts, often with upcycled materials and I love using art as a medium for transmission of important messages to the society.

Jewelry, various accessories, clocks, lamps, graffiti art, home decor, body painting and more stuff like this - these all are not just ways to express myself, they are a perfect set of tools that can be modified and used as powerful mediums for changing the mindsets of societies, because they are very visible, they are in direct contact with people in everyday situations, they have access to the subconscious mind and can help to make different messages spread easier and stay active for longer periods.

I believe in gift economy and anything related to it and I experiment on the patterns of appreciation for one’s work, so I sometimes offer free prices for what I make, or exchange of goods for goods, goods for services etc. I usually travel quite a lot and it makes me happy to get enriched with new cultures, new moods and people, as well as helps to build networks, to mediate between east and west and to multiply tools and knowledge that I find and get inspired by.

I also organize various initiatives, events, projects mainly connected to arts, culture, environments, social change and communication, here in Armenia or anywhere else where the wind of inspiration brings me to:)

At the moment I am in Armenia, re-discovering the local grassroots initiatives and collecting tools / skills / knowledge to offer to them in order to self-organize better and have a more visible-sensible outcomes in whatever they do. To mention some of them: dynamic governance, circular governance, sociocracy, consent decision making and election systems with feedback groups etc. I am always happy to connect to as many people and initiatives as possible and to exchange whatever inspires me and others, choosing the most creative and preferably rational / functional ways in order to save time and energy. To conclude - right now I am involved in organization of Edgeryders’ workshops in Armenia and am open for any questions and offers regarding that. Wish everyone a great rYde on the edge and see you around! Vahagn

[noemi]

cycling and upcycling stories

Hi Vahagn and thanks for the intro,

Are any of your friends involved in the cycling movement coming to the workshop? I think it would be great to get their story on camera with the help of @Sam Muirhead, maybe even get some takes as someone is cycling around the city?

Same with upcycling, as you may have seen already preventing environmental damage and creative activism is one of the topics we’re super interested in learning more about when it comes to Armenia…  I do look forward to see some of your artefacts, bring a sample at the workshop?  this is going to be awesome!!

[vahagn]

Hi Noemi!

Welcome:)

Yes, I am getting some of the cycling dudes to the workshop too, and it’s a good idea to shoot some scenes when Sam is here. Same about upcycling. We will have some youth representing some upcycling initiatives and creative activism too at the workshop, and yes, artefacts -  the workshop space is full of upcycled lamps and will be even more full of upcycled jewelry, made of bicycle tubes and chains:) Here I am posting some for the inspiration:)

[dorotea]

hi !

Hi @Vahagn !

Very interesting introduction and upcycling art !

I’m sure people in your workshop in Armenia will be happy to learn more about it.

[vahagn]

Hi Dorotea:)

Thanks!

I am really enjoying this upcycling art atmosphere and I love when people come and make things for themselves and take them home! Soon will start making jewelry with little books that have social artivist content (texts, pictures) inside, and they are tiny enough to be a pair of earrings:) or ring:)

[dorotea]

how interesting, I really like making these kind of things too,

and your art looks very creative!

[dorotea]

more welcomes

I just posted a welcome to you on our facebook page

so that more people can come and say hi to you ,

and join you at your workshop in Armenia !

[hazem]

hi vahagn

vahgan I really enjoyed our discussion this morning and I like what u do with the up cycling

during the meeting u mentioned that you r in a case of war but in a cease fire condition , excuse my ignorance but I really don’t know what’s happening there can you give me a brief or send a link with some info , that would be great

[noemi]

second that!

Hey, I was about to ask the same because we didn’t have time to ask you more about it during the call…

Would you care to offer an inside view of the conflict?

The only thing I read recently about the intersection of cultures and political boundaries was this article on Inge’s wall and the comments, but this is more about pro-Russian Armenians. I get the feeling you were talking about a different conflict?

I think you would enjoy reading @TOOLosophy's story of living at the border of identities - great reflection on the Transnistria case. His post is also an example of the kind of deeply personal stories and insights that community members here have. Maybe scout for this kind of storytelling in your approaches as community builders (of course topics can be the ones that we wanna focus in Spot the Future - making a living, participation and environmental care) but are not limited to that… What say you ?