relocation
Situated at the point where four countries meet (Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan and Armenia), mount Ararat is Armenia's most important national symbol, full of mythological meaning and allegedly the place where Noah's Ark stranded. Since the Armenian genocide of 1915 the Ararat is no longer part of Greater Armenia. Today mount Ararat is located right behind the closed border with Turkey, still dominating the Armenian landscape. But now Armenians can only gaze at it with longing.
In 'relocation' the sun rises over the Ararat valley, with the monumental Ararat twin mountains in the back. Starting from a nearly pitch black image the landscape exposes slowly, revealing human life around the military controlled no man's land, buffering both nations. It is the landscape as seen from Armenia, at the closest accessible point to the border with Turkey.
Only, the image is mirrored. Left and right are reversed, which implies the impossible view for Armenians of the western side of the mountain. This way it refers to an era long gone, when historical Armenia still was one, an era Armenians strongly long for.
A text appearing on screen as dialoguing subtitles comments on the landscape, as if both mountains are in dialogue with each other. In fact this text is based on testimonies from both sides of the mountain and can be interpreted as a dialogue between two nations, with historical, political, biblical and utopical connotations. It goes back to the early 20th century and refers to a turbulent era and the tense relations between Turkey and Armenia.
'relocation' reflects on identity in general, and the Armenian identity in particular. How and to what extent does Mount Ararat (still) define Armenian identity? What is its iconologic value, and how does it play part in Armenian collective memory? In this video the mountains are relocated, as have been the Armenian people.
In 'relocation' the sun rises over the Ararat valley, with the monumental Ararat twin mountains in the back. Starting from a nearly pitch black image the landscape exposes slowly, revealing human life around the military controlled no man's land, buffering both nations. It is the landscape as seen from Armenia, at the closest accessible point to the border with Turkey.
Only, the image is mirrored. Left and right are reversed, which implies the impossible view for Armenians of the western side of the mountain. This way it refers to an era long gone, when historical Armenia still was one, an era Armenians strongly long for.
A text appearing on screen as dialoguing subtitles comments on the landscape, as if both mountains are in dialogue with each other. In fact this text is based on testimonies from both sides of the mountain and can be interpreted as a dialogue between two nations, with historical, political, biblical and utopical connotations. It goes back to the early 20th century and refers to a turbulent era and the tense relations between Turkey and Armenia.
'relocation' reflects on identity in general, and the Armenian identity in particular. How and to what extent does Mount Ararat (still) define Armenian identity? What is its iconologic value, and how does it play part in Armenian collective memory? In this video the mountains are relocated, as have been the Armenian people.
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