Hrair Sarkissian Unexposed, 2012 Archival inkjet print Edition of 5 + 2 a.p. 137.5 x 110 cm Courtesy Kalfayan Galleries, Athens - Thessaloniki. With the support of Marseille-Provence 2013 and Kalfayan Galleries. The Unexposed series was first exhibited at the exhibition titled “Ici, Ailleurs” (curated by Juliette Laffon) at MuCEM - Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Mediterranée (Marseille, France). The exhibition was organised in the realm 'Marseille-Provence 2013 - European Capital of Culture'. Hrair Sarkissian’s work explores different positions on migration, persecution and displacement. The Unexposed series (2012) deals with descedants of Armenians who converted to Islam to escape the genocide that took place in the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Today, having rediscovered their roots, and reconverted into Christianity, these descedants are forced to conceal their newfound Armenian-ness. Unaccepted by Turkish society and not fully part of the Armenian community, they remain invisible.
