Armenian Genocide
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Post-genocide creative vision: A seminar for Armenian youth on culture and identity
How has the trauma of the Armenian Genocide become part of the collective unconscious of Armenian culture and identity in the diaspora?
What contribution have artists and cultural institutions made to the shaping of who we are as individuals and as communities?
Can art heal our enduring traumas?
Searching for answers? Read on…
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Algorithms for loss: By Alan Semerdjian
Something extraordinary happened on the day award-winning writer, musician, and educator Alan Semerdjian released a collaboration of poems and sound with guitarist/composer Aram Bajakian—Kim Kardashian tweeted about his project The Serpent and the Crane!
While a lot has happened in the world since then, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the 44-day Artsakh war, Semerdjian went on to write an essay, a meditation about that actual day, April 24th 2020. He generously contributed his compelling story to h-pem because he believes it “should live in the world.”
Experimental in form and delivery, the essay is an attempt to tackle broader issues, such as the nature of virality, how to process and share difficult and hard to digest art, the question of Armenian identity, genocide denial—all still relevant and resonant.
Check out Semerdjian’s wonderfully intuitive, extremely timely and profound story as it unravels in real time below…
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'The Armenian Genocide. Prelude and Aftermath': Deeper than any dive into America’s haunting archives
It took over hundred years for the United States to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. But the evidence was always there, covered extensively by the American press, in words and pictures. While there have been several attempts to collect the reports scattered across different newspapers, a recent sequentially arranged and meticulously indexed multi-volume compilation stands out as the weightiest. At an impromptu meeting with h-pem in Venice, Rev. Vahan Ohanian, co-editor of the publication, gives exclusive insights into the gigantic project that goes beyond the traditional scope of presenting the Armenian Question.
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#IsolateWithHPem episode 7: Genealogist George Aghjayan
Running out of juice during these trying times? Well, we've got you covered! On April 6, h-pem kicked-off its social connection initiative #IsolateWithHPem. For the foreseeable future, we will periodically post exclusive videos from our talented friends, who are professionals in their respective fields—from cooking and dance to comedy, journalism, and beyond. Their snappy tutorials will help us all combat the challenges posed by physical isolation through a virtual learning hub. Stay tuned!
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'Akh, Tamar!': A photo story
Every night, a beautiful Armenian maiden named Tamar would wave a light from Akhtamar Island’s shore in the direction of her lover, who would then swim to her from the mainland to reunite in silence. But Tamar was a princess and the boy, a commoner. When her father found out about their secret meetings, his anger got the best of him. As Tamar was lighting her lover’s way, her father approached her and blew out the light. Without a glow to guide him across Lake Van, the boy drowned in the darkness of the night, wailing, “Akh, Tamar!” (“Oh, Tamar!”).
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Peaceful in Kars: A photo story
Unlike the snow-covered, gloomy provincial town where the murders of Orhan Pamuk’s imagination took place, the Kars that welcomed my friend and me on our short trip to Western Armenia was warm, lively, and hospitable; enough to set my soul at ease, after a tumultuous arrival in the country.
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