On Going Project
Palimpsest: History in Drawers
is an installation, a snap shot of time before the "digital" image prevailed, a time when we made hard copy backups of our memories in form of letters or photographs. In this project says Varteni I re-count some moments of my own remembrance, remembrance of separation and distance, letters from loved ones tucked away in a drawer somewhere in the house and found years later, read with longing. A moment for now … NOW of course is the question ringing through the installation. Are we making “hard copies” of our memories today? Are we leaving them behind in some drawer somewhere?
in early 1980's Henrik Igityan, founder of MAMY, was at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA for a lecture. Varteni and Igityan met during this time and the latter visited the artist’s studio, applauded her work and invited her to come to Armenia for an exhibition. Decades later this dream was being realized.
Just ahead of the MAMY show the installation was exhibited at the Berlin Art Hotel, Gallery 25, Gyumri, Armenia
read "Scream in silence" by Zara Ayroumyan of MAMY .. in Armenina .. in English
"There came the sky blues, rosy pinks, poppy reds, sun whites, dreams and memories. There came drawers,
family photos, old letters on papers turning yellow with time. This is because Varteni came to Istanbul." read more in article by Ayşe Günaysu
watch here for more images from past exhibitions