Armenian Museum to Present ‘Kiss the Ground’ Exhibit, ‘Voices’ Film

WATERTOWN, Mass.—The Armenian Museum of America, together with the Thompson Gallery of the Cambridge School of Weston, presents a new exhibition, “Kiss the Ground: A New Armenia, Part II,” on view from Jan. 25 through March 15.

'Cross Lace 4,' 'Forgiveness Lace 1,' and 'Cross Lace 1,' by Jackie Kazarian — ‘Cross Lace 4,’ ‘Forgiveness Lace 1,’ and ‘Cross Lace 1,’ by Jackie Kazarian

The Thompson Gallery and the Armenian Museum have joined forces to present “Kiss the Ground,” a 5-part exhibition series centering on the art of 12 Armenian artists. In unison, the groupings of artists and exhibitions examine and highlight contemporary Armenian art at a particular moment in history, organized to coincide with the Armenian Genocide Centennial. New artists being featured are Gagik Aroutiunian, John Avakian, Jackie Kazarian, and Apo Torosyan.

The Opening Reception will be held on Jan. 25 at the Armenian Museum from 2-5 p.m. in the Adele & Haig Der Manuelian Galleries. A screening of Apo Torosyan’s documentary film “Voices” will begin at 3 p.m. This short film focuses on four interviews with survivors of the Armenian and Greek Genocide, when people were murdered, tortured, starved, and deported by the Ottoman-Turkish government over a span of nine years, from 1915-23.

On the following Sunday, Feb. 1, beginning at 1 p.m., the Armenian Museum will present “Memories of Marash,” a 75-minute documentary film by Roger Hagopian about the legacy of a lost Armenian community. The film traces the ancient history of the city of Marash from its Hittite, Roman, and Crusade periods, through a series of massacres from the late 1800’s to the final expulsion and genocide of the Armenians by Ottoman Turkey between 1915 and 1923. “I wrote, videotaped, and edited this film with the initial desire to tell my family story within the context of history,” Hagopian said. “In the process of my research, the theme of the story shifted from the plight of my grandmother and uncle to the tale of a vibrant way of life that had once existed in Marash and is now forever a memory.”

Both the Jan. 25 and Feb. 1 events are free and open to the public. The Armenian Museum of America is located at 65 Main St. in Watertown.