HRAIR SARKISSAIN, ‘The Other Side of Silence’
The Other Side of Silence
Size: 21.5 x 28 cm
Pages: 280
Published by Lenz Press, 2021
The first monograph of London-based Syrian-Armenian artist Hrair Sarkissian—one of the leading figures working with photography globally today.
This cerebral book of multi-disciplinary essays and images explores histories of disappearance, the architecture of violence, and the potential of the medium of photography. While encompassing the moving image, sculpture, sound, and installation, Sarkissian's practice is rooted in his photographs. His lifelong use of a large-format camera relates to the artist's interest in the role of chance in capturing hidden narratives of conflict, trauma, and displacement. Acting as an archaeologist and a storyteller, the artist draws upon personal and collective memory to reveal stories that official records cannot tell. The viewer is invited to consider the formal aspects of the image, to breathe in its silence, and to interrogate what might live beneath its surface.