Player of backgammon, Bronze bench monument in Yerevan, Armenia
Player of Backgammon is a bronze sculpture in Yerevan showing a seated figure focused on a game of backgammon at a small table. The piece functions as a public bench, so visitors can sit beside the figure in the open air.
The sculpture was made in 2007 by artist Eduard Shakhikyan in collaboration with students from the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinema. It was one of several works that brought together an experienced artist and young students on a shared creative project.
Backgammon is a daily fixture in Yerevan, played by men on street corners, in parks, and outside cafés on portable boards. The sculpture captures one of these ordinary moments and places it permanently in the streetscape.
The sculpture stands in a public area of Yerevan and can be visited at any time without restriction. Anyone who wants to stop can simply sit down beside the figure and watch the street life around them.
The table in front of the figure is part of the sculpture itself, shaped so that a real player could sit across from it and actually play. This turns the work into an open invitation rather than just an object to look at.
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