Journey

Installation, 1997

When we travel we use boxes to transport our belongings. There's also the emotional bagage that we carry with us.

One person died

Installation in diptych – evolving digital moving image and video, 2011

One person died is an istallation in two parts that addresses human attrocities unpunished and unrecognized; acceptation of the crime being the only way of redemption.

Every day, in the news, a large number of people are declared dead: 50 in an attack, 4000 in a massacre, 1.5 million in a Genocide... These victims are not simple numbers. Each one of them is a unique and valuable being, regardless of his place of origin. One person died is dedicated to each one of these victims, especially those of genocides, be it Rwandan, Kosovar, Khmer, Jewish, Indian or Armenian. The installation offers visitors a moment of reflection on a universal subject that speaks of life and its value.

One person died – evolving digital image, indefinite time, 2011
With the help of an algorithm, the phrase “One person died” repeats itself in different sizes and colors. The configuration changes constantly, but the phrase stays unchanged. A digital counter registers the number of repetition. Once the number reaches 1.5 million, the the counter restarts. 1.5 million is in reference to the number of victimes of the Armenian genocide of the beginning of the 20th century. Programming: Laurent Novac, HE-Arc ingénierie

Puricifation – video, 3’, en boucle, 2011

House on Wheels

Video installation, 5 DVDs, projection, robot and 3D object, 2000

Every one goes from one place to another to get home. Some people who go from one place to another never get home. Some others get home, but always stay in exile.
(An excerpt from the video taken from Hagop Karapentz, A man and a country and other short stories, Watertown: Blue CraneBooks, 76.)

House on Wheels is a multi-media, interdisciplinary video installation addressing issues related to multi-cultural experiences.
The physical structure of the installation is a basic wooden house structure on wheels, supporting the idea of mobility and travel. Four houses made from digital transparency and mounted on wood frames hang inside the main structure. Each one of the interior houses relates to one culture and has iconography related to that specific culture.

The video component represents the idea of migration and the constant move from one place to another. It’s layered, constant layer being a repetitive walk. The begining audio is a superimposition of a phrase in four different languages. The languages are sometimes recognizable, but the general effect is a chaotic, repetitive sound, reflecting the confusion related to the multi-cultural existence. Other parts contain symbolic images of home, as well as images related to the four different cultures, combined with songs and narratives in the same languages.

The viewer enters the gallery and interacts with the space. The semi-dark room, the large-scale video projection and the moving transparent houses create a whimsical atmosphere, complemented by narratives and songs from four countries. The viewer is transported to a place that might feel foreign. Armenian, Farsi, French and English words and music fill up the space.

It's all about having to move from one place to another, feeling somewhat out of place and different. It's also about having the privilege of experiencing more than one heritage, sense of belonging to more than one culture.

Verb-images

Verb-images are a series of paintings started in the early 80's and revisited in 2008.