Transforming Sorrow

STANFORDVILLE, N.Y.—Artist Kardash Onnig will unveil a powerful multimedia installation on four consecutive Saturdays, opening April 25 and continuing May 2, 9, and 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the artist’s studio at 76 Halas Lane, Stanfordville. The installation, which is free and open to the public, will pay tribute to victims of the Armenian Genocide. It is also an invitation for all people to mourn and transcend their own grief and sorrow.

“The Mehian,” an acoustic sanctuary sitting atop Kardash’s 11-acre property, will house the “Womb of Sorrow.” Inside, four large speakers handcrafted by Kardash rest on a kilim rug brought from Anatolia by his grandmother, a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. When visitors enter the Mehian, they will encounter four different auditory experiences, establishing an atmosphere for visitors to pay tribute to their own journey of sorrow. These are “Armenian Blues,” a recitation of Vahe Vahian’s poem by Melo Ekizian; “Rhythmic heart beats” by percussionist Mher Vahakn Ajamian on drum; “Vocal resonances” by Zulal, A Cappella Folk Trio; and “A Composition,” mixed by electronic musician Phil Moffa.

Kardash Onnig's "Transforming Sorrow"
Kardash Onnig’s “Transfourming Sorrow”

Visitors will then walk to “The Field of Transfourmation,” an intimate enclosure of 14 panels of studies and 3 dimensional compositions each dedicated to a transference the artist had with others throughout his life, whereby an unspeakable loss and sorrow is transformed. These works are the manifestation of the artist’s lifelong experimentation with his “Tools.” Inspired by the quaternary principle found in all cultures, Kardash’s “Tools” transcend cultural boundaries and the fixities of modern, two-dimensional national alphabets.
Kardash Onnig was introduced to sculpting and direct carving more than 40 years ago and has devoted his life to a path of personal transformation.

For more information about “Transfourming Sorrow,” including directions, visit KardashOnnig.com or e-mail transfourmer@gmail.com.

Guest Contributor

Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.

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