iwitness: narratives of resistance

August 26 – October 22, 2024
Exhibition Reception: Thursday, September 12 from 5:00-7:30pm

For almost three decades, the iwitness project has been a multidimensional effort to resist the denial of the history of The Armenian Genocide (1915-23). Led by artists Ara Oshagan, Levon Parian, and architect Vahagn Thomasian—all descendants from Western Armenia—the project has photographed, recorded, archived, and shared the images and stories of Armenian Genocide survivors in poignant and often unexpected ways. The project has taken multiple forms over the years – from small, intimate portrait shows to massive public art installations to a permanent monument – and the current exhibition presents a survey of this multifaceted endeavor. Through each iteration of the project, iwitness continues to fight the erasure of the Genocide by uplifting the images and voices of survivors and creating new generations of witnesses to their stories.

Image credit: Ara Oshagan and Levon Parian, Sion Abajian, b. Marash, 1908, 1996. Black and white photograph, Courtesy of the artists.