“Wishing Tree” on display at Depo along with photographs from Scout Tufankjian’s “The Armenians

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29 April – 10 May 2015

On April 24th, as part of an outdoor commemoration of the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, a public art ritual is enacted around a metal wish tree. “Wishing Tree” is created by Hale Tenger, a well-known contemporary artist from Turkey. Initiated by Project 2015 and realized in collaboration with Anadolu Kultur “Wishing Tree” enabled participants to tie strips of fabric, as homage to the victims and the survivors of the Armenian Genocide. “Wishing Tree”, carrying the notes written by diaspora Armenians who came to Istanbul for this occasion, will be on display at Depo for a short period.

In the same space a selection of images from Scout Tufankjian’s “The Armenians” project will also be exhibited. Tufankjian is a photographer and photojournalist from the US, who has been working on this particular project for six years.

For the past three thousand years, waves of Armenian migrants left their ancestral homes in modern day Eastern Turkey and Northern Syria, following ancient trade and pilgrimage routes and fleeing countless revolutions, civil wars, and massacres – culminating in 1915 in the Armenian Genocide that scattered its survivors across the earth. Despite these centuries of displacement, today’s Armenian diaspora is strong and vibrant – with more than eight million Armenians living in over 85 countries across the globe.

Tufankjian claims that, what ties this people together after 100 years of being scattered across the globe, is not the horror of the Genocide, but the strength of survival. Through these photographs she aims to tell that the stories of Armenians do not begin or end with the Genocide. This story is not about victimhood, instead it is a portrait of survival.

2015 Exhibition Program of DEPO is being realized in cooperation with Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

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 icon-file-text The Armenians – Scout Tufankjian

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