Arkadi Kotanjyan born in Gyumri (1984, Armenia)
Grew up in Slavyansk-on-Kuban
Lives wherever there are banana boxes
How I ended up here
In 2022, I accidentally stumbled into the world of contemporary art. Before that, I thought contemporary artists were like hippies — people who do whatever they want.

Turns out — not at all.

I discovered a world of rigid structures, curators, and endless applications. A bureaucratic maze. I have always hated bureaucracy. I arrived here by chance, without knowing any rules — only a raw intuition of what art should be.

In 2023, I invented Bannana Gallery — the freest gallery in the world. A space where no permission is required.
I created it simply to have a reason to stay.

I have been here ever since.