GENOCIDE’S CONSEQUENCES MADE REAL WITH ART
By Zain Shauk
Glendale News Press
_4/7/2009_1
Monday, April 6, 2009
GLENDALE (Glendale News Pres)–Genocide is not a thing of the past
and a new art exhibit at the Brand Library aims to show visitors
the savage quality of mass killings that persist around the globe,
organizers said.
The exhibit, more than 70 works by 44 artists, held its opening
reception Saturday to a packed house of visitors who were frequently
taken back by the imagery and symbolism of the pieces.
Some works incorporated startling images of genocide, others were more
abstract, incorporating themes of struggle, suffering or disregard
for the value of human life, artists said.
"It’s amazing," said Glendale resident Layla Bettar, while browsing
the gallery. "It’s hard to believe that someone would do this kind
of torture."
The show, organized by the Arts and Culture Commission and called
"Man’s Inhumanity to Man," is meant to use art to illustrate
to visitors that genocide is real and has harsh effects, even if
it seems to occur in distant parts of the world, curator Ramela
Abbamontian said.
"It uses the power of art to reach people, to wake them up, to instill
a desire to create change," Abbamontian said.
While art related to the Armenian Genocide is prominent in the exhibit,
works from artists of various backgrounds were on display and all of
them were commentaries on the atrocious impacts of systematic killings,
like those currently occurring in Darfur, Sudan, artists said.
"This is not only about genocide, it’s about atrocity," said Ripsime
Marashian, the city’s cultural affairs coordinator.
Japanese artist Sumi Foley’s hand-stitched image, made on previously
discarded kimono fabric and titled, "Sudden Spring Wind," depicted
soldiers blowing away in the wind, like the petals of a cherry
blossom tree.
The piece showed how easily lives could be lost in violence, a message
that may not be as powerful in another medium of expression, like
writing or speech, she said.
"It’s very important to remember what happened to human beings,"
she said of the value of the exhibit.
Foley’s piece, along with others throughout the gallery, will confront
visitors with the harsh realities behind violence, said Armenian
artist Samvel Hambardzumyan, whose ceramic work called "Echo" was a
reminder of the voices of ancestors lost to mass killings.
"It’s not just about genocide, it’s about inhumanity," he said of
the showcase.
A black-and-white photograph of an old man placed above a handwritten
narrative that detailed a childhood experience during the Armenian
Genocide, resonated with at least two visitors.
The account of young boys being stabbed by Turkish soldiers was
startling, said West Los Angeles residents Eileen Joyce and Jeff
Braucher.
"It’s pretty powerful," Joyce said.
The exhibit will be open daily until May 8 and the commission will
host two special events for gallery visitors, an evening of music
and poetry April 15 and a set of discussions with the artists and
curator April 18.