BEYOND THE RIVER
Dream of a place in the ravine between the mountains. A river flows through stretched to the Araxes River. Mediterranean fertile climate in a barren land. Place two hamlets on the opposite banks of the river. Men, women and children struggle through daily anxieties. Close your eyes, turn into a bird gliding up the banks with spread wings. Leave your idle body to the rolling waters, tranquil and calm.
Dream a place in the ravine. Two hamlets at the banks. In the villages, two people, so close yet apart, survive with longings, anxieties and fears. Watch the river the Arpachay and the Akhourian. See how waters leave long trace of separation along the border of Armenia and Turkey. Can you see the known and the unknown alienated and uncomfortable swinging of the idleness?
“Leaps of all the cranes hanging in the air.”
This project has been realized in Bagaran and Halikishlak villages on the banks of Arpachai-Akhuryan River on the border of Armenia and Turkey..
“Beyond the River”, is a photographic social documentary, which focuses on border experiences of the residents of villages of Bagaran (Armenia) and Halıkıshlak (Turkey), located on opposite banks of the Arpachay/Akhuryan River. It deals with paradox of cultural aspects of people situated so near and yet so far: “the other side”.
In this respect, a fieldwork was carried out in these two villages, which includes photographic work as well as verbal comments of the residents of these villages, in order to provide an opportunity for meeting of two communities.
The exhibition of the project, as an important output of this process, shall hopefully contribute to the aim of visualizing the other side of the river, by communication established through voices and sounds between residents of each side, albeit actual images of this vocal communication is unclear.
