Erevan & Berlin

Erevan, Photographic Edition, 32 pages, 15 x 21cm, 2017

Berlin, Photographic Edition, 26 pages, 15 x 21cm, 2018

Erevan and Berlin are two photographic editions that document two European exchanges jointly led by young Turks, Armenians, French, and Germans on issues of reconciliation and dialogue (particularly through art) between peoples in the absence of diplomatic relations.

These encounters emerge in the particular context of the centenary of the Armenian genocide in 2015.

The first photographic edition captures the challenges of the initial interactions between the groups, characterized by hesitancy, discomfort, taboos, and restraint. These difficulties are reflected in the backdrop of the post-Soviet environment where the meeting took place, in Erevan and its surrounding areas. The photographs portray a pale, timid, and almost abandoned background, evoking the silent atmosphere of the setting.

The second edition, intended to document the return exchange that was supposed to take place in Istanbul (but was cancelled two weeks prior due to the failed 'coup-d'état' in Turkey and the complications it brought about), testifies to this geographical discrepancy while paradoxically revealing similarities through the reflective memories of Berlin's past.

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Arek Kouyoumdjian 2012-2023