The Armenian Cultural Association in Norway presents various commemorative events marking the centennial of the Armenian Genocide in Norway.
The events organized by Norwegian Church’s cultural agency Kirkelig Kulturverksted (KKV) include a film screening, photo exhibition, theater performances, a cultural workshop, a concert and a panel discussion on political aspects of denial within the prestigious annual Red Zone Festival, happening this week, sponsored by freedom of expression foundation Fritt Ord and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the time when the world commemorates that 100 years has gone since the genocide, KKV has decided to dedicate this year’s Red Zone festival to the Armenian tragedy.
Red Zone is a festival, which highlights the freedom of expression through the arts. It is annually arranged by KKV; every other year in Oslo and in a city in the Middle East. The first edition took place in Oslo in 2013. In 2014 it happened in Beirut and Cairo. In 2015 it is once again back in Oslo.
The concert “A hundred years of oblivion” held within the framework of the festival on March 3 featured musicians from Norway, Armenia, Turkey and Iran.
The “Armine, Sister” performance will be staged at Kanonhallen, Løren from March 4 to 6. Based on studies in Anatolia, the ensemble Teatr ZAR has created a performance, which mirrors the Armenian genocide through a wordless, densified theater play. Through their work Teatr ZAR centers on the history of ignorance that feeds on inaction and leads to inaction among today’s Europeans. The history of ignorance also includes the social story of building an accord of silence around each act of violence.
Suzanne Khardalian’s film “Grandma’s Tattoos” will be screened on March 4. The documentary shows the fates of women during the aftermaths of the genocide.
The events will be concluded by a discussion on “Forgotten by the world, the selective memory of the West,”featuring Ara Sarafian, the founding director of the Gomidas Institute in London and historian Bård Larsen from Civita, Oslo and freelance journalist Frida Sebina Skatvik from Oslo.
