Hrair Sarkissian: The Presence of Absence

The exhibition will be the first exhibition in Denmark with the Syrian-Armenian artist Hrair Sarkissian, who is considered to be one of the foremost artists internationally who works conceptually with photography.

Absence has a prominent presence in Sarkissian's works, as a resounding silence that points to untold stories – personal as well as collective. The exhibition will show older and newer works by the artist from the past 15 years. Sarkissian works with large format cameras and analog photography as well as video in the creation of his works.

The artist functions as both an archaeologist and a storyteller, where he uses photographic techniques to conjure up landscapes or places that reveal historical traumas or invisible stories based on both personal and collective memories. By building a sense of solidarity around collective trauma, Sarkissian wants to highlight a form of social justice that can compensate for the official historiography that all too often omits the stories of the displaced.

In 2021-2023, the exhibition The Other Side of Silence – the largest solo exhibition with the artist to date – will be shown at the Sharjah Art Foundation, Dubai, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm and Bonnefanten, Maastricht. Sarkissian lives and works in London.

See video interview with Hrair Sarkissian here. (opens in FaceBook)