Karen Mirzoyan: Suicide in Armenia

http://www.soros.org/initiatives/photography/multimedia/2009-production-grant...

Karen Mirzoyan photographed portraits of Armenian men and women who had attempted suicide. This work is part of a larger, ongoing body of work on suicide survivors in a number of countries, including Belarus, Lebanon, Turkey, and the United States.

While photographing, Mirzoyan also collected interviews of survivors reflecting back on their suicide attempts, what motivated them, and how this affects who they are now. Through this work, Mirzoyan aims to explore the question of what is both hidden and revealed in portraiture, and to what extent depression, and the trauma of suicide, can be detected by looking at someone's face. Eventually, this work will be used to create a website and online community for suicide survivors or those contemplating suicide. http://www.soros.org/initiatives/photography/focus_areas/production-individua...

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Meet the Recipients of the 2009 Production Grant for Photographers from Central Asia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Pakistan. In 2009, the Open Society Documentary Photography Project launched a new grant program to support photographers from Central Asia, the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Pakistan. Nine photographers were selected from 6 different countries—Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan—to document social justice or human rights issues in their home countries.

In addition to awarding project funds, the program provided these photographers with two workshops in Istanbul, audio recording equipment and training, and a 6-month mentorship with world-renowned photographers Yuri Kozyrev (NOOR Images) and Antonin Kratochvil (VII Photo Agency).

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Mirzoyan
• suicide
• armenia
• documentary
• photography
• photojournalism
• art
• death
• europe
• central asia

[BarnettLevon]

Dear Karen (Karen jan)

I am very pleased that you are bringing awareness to such an important topic, especially in a rather sealed-lipped country like Armenia.

Shat shat shnorhakalutyun!

Harqanqnerov Levon