The collection of images brings together a series of photographs taken across Armenia. The images open a dialogue between portraits and landscapes, serving as visual metaphors for fragments of collective memories. In our memory, we create a world of personal meaning, where we belong because we remember. 

Mount Ararat is the national symbol of an Armenian collective identity. The mountain was the geographical center of the ancient Armenian kingdoms, and Armenians have identified with the mountain for  centuries. It ended up as part of Turkey relatively recently, in 1921, and many Armenians today still consider it as their cultural property. This collective nostalgia for Ararat is inescapable in Armenia, especially since the mountain can be seen from many places within the country. The cloud formations around the mountain converge from winds coming from long distances. Centuries ago these winds were given names in connection to human states of mind. There are many mythological references in the country. Every given name has a special meaning in Armenia. A name can give a hint about where a person is coming from and will shape their future personality. One of the most common first names in Armenia for boys is Ararat. 

The images from the project 'If there’s space I’ll stay, if there’s time I’ll sing' photographed at the school theater with Armine, Allen and Mark have been realized in collaboration with the Armenian costume designer and writer Suzanna Spertsyan.