This month, we are celebrating the 7th anniversary of CSN Lab. What began as a grassroots initiative rooted in memory and urban activism has grown into an interdisciplinary cultural organisation, deepening its commitment to fostering cultural dialogue and supporting democratic transitions in Armenia and across the region through culture.
Over the past seven years, CSN Lab has established an open platform for multi-layered initiatives rooted in cultural and human rights, engaging with themes such as culture, memory, migration, environmental change, gender, queer perspectives, and beyond. From erased urban (hi)stories and ecomigration to the appropriation and degradation of public space, our projects have created a platform where silenced memories and oppressed narratives of women and LGBTQ+ communities can resurface. Through research, public art, digital archiving, and alternative education, we challenge dominant narratives and continue to explore how trauma, war, forced displacement and environmental transformations shape both memory and identities. We have worked with underrepresented voices, highlighting gendered experiences of wars and migration, and facilitated conflict and decolonial dialogue programs across divides. Throughout these years, we have consistently strived to understand, reflect on, and share diverse practices of peaceful coexistence by analysing historical narratives and the layers of cultural heritage.
Together, these efforts form a growing pattern of practices committed to the advocacy of a more transparent and democratic cultural field and the protection of cultural rights. As we celebrate these past achievements, we honour all those who have shaped CSN Lab's journey, past and present, and look forward to the paths yet to be taken.
Thank you to our experts
Our work has been deeply enriched by the dedication of countless experts, including anthropologists, urbanists, historians, architects, ecologists, critics, and translators, whose insights allowed us to approach complex realities with greater nuance and care. Together, we have nurtured an interdisciplinary vision that not only acknowledges existing conditions but actively imagines new possibilities. We remain committed to building a culture of collaboration and cooperation where shared inquiry and mutual learning are not only possible but essential.
Thank you to our artists and all cultural practitioners
More than anything, CSN Lab values its collaboration with creative and cultural practitioners –visual artists, illustrators, animators, performance artists, filmmakers, sound artists and musicians, photographers, and many more, whose work is essential to everything we stand for. Thank you for walking alongside this journey with CSN Lab. Through your creativity, we have built bridges between lived experiences and imagination.
Over the years, CSN Lab has organised numerous exhibitions, art residencies, training sessions, art interventions, public dialogues, and published artbooks, creating platforms and raising visibility for artists and writers whose practices centre creativity as a tool for justice. As an organisation grounded in cultural rights, we remain committed to supporting free artistic expression in the face of censorship and repression across the region.
Thank you to our communities
We extend our deepest gratitude to our readers, to those who joined our events, who have engaged in dialogue, and stood beside us in this ongoing journey. Your presence has given meaning to what we do and has kept us accountable and inspired. What started as a small circle of people working toward a shared vision gradually became a vibrant community. CSN Lab emerged from the ground up, shaped by the spirit of activism. To the advocates, local residents, and interviewees who have shared their stories. Your contributions are woven into the fabric of everything we do. Though some stories were not recorded, and some buildings may no longer stand, your voices remain through it all, leaving a lasting impact on CSN Lab.
Thank you to our partners
We are grateful to our partner organisations and institutions that have supported us along the way – from international and EU-based organizations in Denmark, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Netherlands, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Belgium, Romania, Lithuania, Estonia, Portugal, France, Spain and Germany, as well as United Kingdom, Canada, Turkey and Central Asian countries. And of course, to our dedicated local partners in Armenia. Your trust in our vision has enabled us to bring projects from idea to reality with transparency and integrity. CSN Lab is also grateful for our ongoing partnerships with organisations across the Eastern European neighbourhood, including Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Belarusian cultural actors in exile whose collaboration continues to strengthen our regional solidarity.
Thank you to our team
And finally, to the individuals - our team members over these seven years, who have shaped and sculpted CSN Lab through their persistence, courage, and unwavering belief in collective work. To everyone who has contributed along the way – from interns, research fellows, residents and designers to the general assembly – your efforts have turned ideas into reality. This journey has not been without its challenges, but your dedication continues to define who we are.
In these challenging times, we continue to believe in democracy and lasting peace. We look ahead with hope for your continued support and shared commitment.
Here’s to seven years of impact and to many more ahead.
Thank you and happy birthday to us!
CSN Lab team