Ani, Serie I, Lion Gate, 90 x 165 cm, 2016

Ani

Série I - 7 photographies- Ruin; Porte de Lion; Manuchihr Mosquée; Caves; l'église du Roi Gagik; Cathédrale; Rivière Araxe
Série II - Photographies en cours de réalisation
2015- ( projet en cours de réalisation )


In the summer of 2014, I traveled to eastern areas of Turkey such as Kars, Dyabakir, Van etc. These are ancient cities where Armenian communities lived before the genocide in 1915.
During this itinerary I visited Ani, the ancient capital of medieval Armenia kingdom about thousand years ago. It was then attacked and occupied by Mongols and Turks. So far, a Turkish-Armenian border crosses the northern side of the Ani city and connects into Turkish Territory. Nowadays, groups of Armenian tourists come and visit Ani, contemplating the ruins with respect, celebrate mass in the cathedral and telling Armenian history to their descendants.
By observing these scenes, I glimpsed the rhythms of the tides of time, which pushes human history, accumulates and forms this deserted landscape before my eyes. This motivated me to develop this project.
In Ani project, I try to deconstruct and then restructure the fragments of Ani ruins through the historical and archaeological methodology, to weave the landscape according to my vision. The result of my assemblages gives trembling landscapes, of which vibration shows the historical trace cross with a contemporary vision circulating through the ruins.
The series of images are creations based on my interpretation of Ani city and it’s in-between terrain. They are nostalgic mirages of a ghost town that exists only in the mind.