Grammy Award-winning System of a Down vocalist Serj Tankian is pioneering a new form of artistic expression by creating musical compositions specifically designed to accompany his abstract paintings. The Armenian Museum of America in Watertown, Massachusetts, is now showcasing this innovative concept in "The Art of Disruption: The Art and Impact of Serj Tankian," an exhibition that opened this month and runs through February.
Tankian's abstract paintings feature complex layers using a handful of colors that evoke deep emotional longing. However, these visual works come alive in unexpected ways when paired with the music he composed specifically for each piece. "I see music and visual art as extensions of the same soul. When I paint, I'm composing. When I compose, I'm painting," Tankian explained in a statement. "Each informs the other in ways words cannot express."
The exhibition offers visitors an immersive multimedia experience through the Arloopa app, which Tankian developed with an Armenian designer. Gallery visitors can download the app, point their phones at any painting, and listen to orchestral arrangements featuring keyboards, guitars, and violins that Tankian composed to accompany each artwork. The musical selections range from one to 24 minutes in length, though most are comparable to the duration of an average pop song.
"Museums are relatively silent when you're viewing work outside of an event, but when you utilize these compositions that he created, it's not silent," said Jason Sohigian, the museum's executive director. "It's an experience you're hearing and seeing at the same time." The gallery features Tankian's original abstract paintings alongside their accompanying musical clips, as well as video installations, poems, and artifacts.
Tankian had been developing this concept of musically composed paintings for several years. He initially considered writing music for other artists' paintings but found greater satisfaction in pairing his own musical compositions with his visual art. "The whole idea of musically composed paintings is something I've been interested in for a long time," Tankian continued. "As an artist, I've always wanted to go to an exhibition, put on headphones, and listen to a piece of music, just like films."
The Glendale-born rock star first became acquainted with the Armenian Museum of America after viewing their display of Jack Kevorkian's artworks four years ago while working on a project in Cambridge. He subsequently began discussions with Sohigian about his own artistic work and his recent memoir, "Down with the System" (2024). Tankian has previously exhibited his visual art at his own gallery in Los Angeles and has also shown work in New Zealand.
Ryann Casey, a New Jersey-based artist who curated the exhibition, emphasized how Tankian demonstrates the interconnectedness of his poetry, music, and visual art, along with the meditative aspects of creating each form. "I don't often get a chance to curate musicians," Casey noted. "Armenian history is very important to me, and seeing someone express that history and himself through these three different modes was an interesting challenge."
While Tankian's works may not be overtly political, they carry subtle echoes of genocide recognition, environmental justice, and cultural identity themes. His paintings bear meaningful titles such as "Music Is a Doorway to the Truth," "Ethnic Cause," and "Violent Violins." His poetry explores connections to his activism through lines about yearning for peace. "I don't think any of us have shied away from that activism," Casey said. "Hopefully, people look at those through different lenses."
The Armenian Museum of America has a long-standing tradition of showcasing contemporary artists who reinterpret the story of the Armenian diaspora and address the ongoing ramifications of the nation's century-old genocide. Tankian's exhibition fits within this mission while breaking new ground in multimedia artistic presentation, offering visitors an unprecedented sensory experience that challenges traditional boundaries between visual and auditory art forms.
