Product Description

The series “rural shades” documents the symbiosis of nature and human around Eastern Anatolia. The central subject matter is the relationships of the different religious and ethnic minorities, such as Alevis, Kurds and Armenians. The genocide of the Armenian population, also known as Aghet (Աղետ “catastrophe”), not only occupies the minds of many historians worldwide, but in Turkey this event is still relativised and denied by the highest state institutions. The Erzincan region in particular plays a very central role in the persecution and expulsion of Armenians.

The transformative process of the medium of photography and the accompanying projections/forms convey the complexity of the subject matter. The focus will be on everyday practices in rural areas and traces of historical events related to Armenians. 3D models are generated from the photographs and milled into wood or 3D printed.

Karanlık Kanyon, literally “Dark Canyon”, is a deep steep gorge between the districts of İliç and Kemaliye in the Turkish province of Erzincan, formed by the Karasu River and the Munzur Mountains. It took 132 years to complete the Taş Yol (Stone Road), which connects the villages of Eğin and Divriği. Around 25,000 Armenians were driven to their deaths in this gorge in the course of the genocide.

Saltprint | ARCHES Bütten-Aquarellkarton 185 g | 30 x 42 cm
Kodak Portra 160 120mm 6×7 C41 Negativ
Year: 2021