1915 Commemoration
April - May 2018
Project Leadership, Poster Design, Choreography/Performance and Event Management by Siranush
Tools for Poster Design: Adobe Suite: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop
Armenian Genocide Posters, Ten 23 x 63 inch high-gloss posters. Sponsored by MIT Armenian Association Alumni and MIT Undergraduate Association.
More than a century has passed since the Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turkey in 1915, but the Armenian community in the United States and throughout the world still has a long way to go to educate the public about this grave crime against humanity.
103 Years of Denial Posters
Members of the MIT Armenian Society (MITAS) in collaboration with the Armenian Museum of America organized an Armenian Genocide commemoration exhibit, called 103 Years of Denial, to address this task within the walls of MIT. Held on the morning and afternoon of May 2nd, 2018, the exhibit was showcased in the famous Infinite Corridor at MIT under the gaze of hundreds of students and faculty. In addition, it featured explanatory posters designed by MITAS president Siranush Babakhanova highlighting facts, figures and maps about the colossal scale of massacres and deportations the Armenian population was subject to.
Reportage
Education
For the whole duration of the exhibit MITAS members and the artist answered questions from the public, shared personal stories and guided visitors to additional sources about the Genocide. Armenian food and desserts were provided as another way of introducing the Armenian culture to guests. Both the factual posters and the fictionalized artwork achieved another step on the way to educate the public about one of the darkest times in human history.
Discussion
With more than 100 guests from MIT campus and the Armenian community in Greater Boston Area attending, Armenia: From Genocide to Republic turned into a discussion and celebration of Armenia. In the first part of the event, our panelists, who included Dr. Areg Danagoulian (Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering, MIT ), Dr. Hayk Demoyan (Director, The Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute), Dr. Ara Balikian (Chairman, AGBU New England District Committee), Dr. Lerna Ekmekcioglu (Professor of History, MIT) , Dr. Christina Maranci (Professor of Armenian Art and Architecture, Tufts University) and Dr. Marc Mamigonian (Director of Academic Affairs, NAASR ), provided valuable insights on how we should envision the future of the country, ranging from women’s right to technological advancement.
Cultural Show
The panel discussion was followed by a cultural show with dance performances and songs. Among them was a dance presented by Siranush Babakhanova. The music for the dance is “Garun a”, highlighting devastating experience of the Armenian Genocide, the deportation of survivors and their subsequent rebirth.
