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Arsineh
is a photographer who followed System of A Down in their Mezmerize Tour in 2005,
she delivered to fans outstanding shoots for their favorite band.
In 2006, Arsineh followed Serj Tankian & John Dolmayan with her camera in their
visit to Capitol Hill Observance and their rally to push the Armenian Genocide
bill. She also joined 'Screamers' movie crew and took photos of the movie
screening in some different places.
Arsineh was nice enough to give us her consent for exclusive interview for
SOADFans talking about her experience with shooting System of A Down live on the
stage, outside the stage and other things.
SOADFans: What was the first photograph you ever took (in your professional
career) and when was that?
AK: It’s not clear if and when I became professional since my primary
career is graphic design. Photography was always something I just did
voluntarily since I had my first snapshot camera at 8 years old. It served many
purposes along the way, mostly personal, but it came in handy for everything and
is my core passion. If I had to recall, my first professional shot was probably
a wedding or genocide related conference. My first show was Granian (now Kill
the Alarm) at The Bitter End in New York City.
SOADFans: What inspired you to become a photographer?
AK: I always liked the idea of a dark room when I was a child. There was
a science behind the art that was tangible and real. I took the first photo
class I could when I was 14, shooting with my father’s 35 mm Canon SLR which he
bought before I was born (can’t remember the exact model). After that, it was
merely a way to look at the world at every angle, and to share my perspectives
with others. I don’t work in dark rooms anymore, but I still feel a unique
excitement every time I get a shot I like. I also feel the potential with
widespread connectivity and the responsibility photographers have to expose
events around the world with the hopes of inspiring others. The photos I take
can be seen by the world and interpreted in a million ways, hopefully with a
better understanding of the subject. It’s this idea that the photo speaks for
itself and cannot tell a lie that is untouchable in a world where words are
misinterpreted every day.
What
kind of photographing equipment do you use? do you have any favorite?
 I now shoot with a Canon EOS 5D with a 17-40mm and 75-300mm lens. My first
camera was my Dad’s Canon. I then bought a 35mm Nikon N70, then a Canon EOS
Rebel, and now my 5D. I keep it simple.
I know you're Armenian, and you used to live in L.A but recently you moved to
Armenia, what made you decide to move from LA to Armenia? How has that been for
you?
I actually never lived in LA, just visited far too much. I grew up in DC and
studied in New York and Boston with a very strong sense of Armenian identity
instilled by my family, active in the community since I was 8. Moving to Armenia
seemed like a natural progression after a lifetime devoted to preserving the
culture. It became reality when I was offered a job in 2001 as photo editor of
AIM magazine. I had visited several times before, but only for short visits.
During that time, I discovered an addiction to Armenia and returned to DC with
the intention of gaining experience, saving up, devising a plan and moving back
to Armenia once I was prepared. I was then called on to work for the Armenian
National Committee of America in their national headquarters in Washington. I
did anything from helping Armenian Americans start their careers in public
policy, to designing more postcard campaigns than I can remember, to organizing
several protests and vigils for the Armenian and Darfur genocides, to
collaborating with System of a Down on the SOULS benefit concerts. I did that
for a few years and worked a couple other design jobs to save up for my return
to Armenia in ‘06.
I set the date for my move coincidentally right after Serj and John’s visit to
Washington. They left town, I packed my life and was in Armenia the following
week. The moment I arrived felt like I had been there all along. I started a PR
firm within a month, Deem Communications, and now employ 15 industry experts,
handling some of Armenia’s biggest contracts and introducing new business from
the international market. I am living out my dream, working on massive PR
projects, organizing cultural events and implementing widespread marketing
campaigns to a country unfamiliar to the concept for decades. All the while, I’m
shooting every bird, ant and rock around me. One day I’m covering a conference
on dual citizenship policies or major concerts, the next day I’m capturing a
flock of chickens or a villager who’s main concern is if his grapes were
plentiful this year. The extremes and contrasts bring out the essence of life
that I live for. It’s back to the basics of life for me, enjoying the taste of
food, the art of conversation, studying the root of someone’s accent or dialect,
the paths we’ve crossed, and savouring present day life. The fact that this is
the land my ancestors came from brings it home. Had I been doing all these
things anywhere else, I wouldn’t have felt as rewarded. I get to do what I love
most with my own people and watch my country grow.
Do you think more Armenians, who live all around North America/Europe, should
move back to their homeland Armenia?
I think those who are interested in living in Armenia should take that idea very
seriously by visiting and finding something to do. I don’t believe all Armenians
must return as it is a very personal choice that depends on many factors in life
and vary person to person. I happened to be in the right place at the right time
with few responsibilities holding me back. But to say that Armenia only exists
within its current borders is neglecting centuries of migrant families who have
made their marks around the world and maintained their identity, spreading their
culture to their adopted nations.
That said, I came to Armenia at a time where you could count repatriates from
the US on your hands. Visitors would pass through for short 2-week trips or long
6-month program stays. It’s fair to say now that there is a movement, with tens
of thousands of repatriates from all over the world, and many more visitors and
investors. I recently published a book, Special Residency Status, sharing
stories of 18 such repatriates and their insane culture clashes. There are
thousands of others with their eyes on the homeland and I have no doubt that
they will keep coming, if not for the romantic idea of living in one’s land,
perhaps for the mere reason that it is a sound logical decision. Armenia’s
economy has been and continues to boom at a surprising rate despite all odds of
blockade, the slow reconstruction from the 1988 earthquake, war through the ‘90s
and the collapse of the Soviet Union. With almost all borders closed, no ports
and no oil, Armenia has rejected all public projections and took off on its own.
I believe it attributes to two important factors. The Diaspora is a unique
resource which few other nations have. At the same time, the citizens of Armenia
faced so much hardship all at once until they had no choice but to get creative
to survive.
In the end, two things matter most to me: justice for the Armenian genocide and
prosperity in the homeland. I’ve had the chance in life to contribute to both.
A lot of your photos focus on Armenian themes. Is there a main message behind
your photos? What do you want to tell the world through these photos?
I just want people to see the beauty in everything around them. This is
something I only realized much later in life, one of the reasons I love to shoot
so much. I’ve had people tell me that they never looked at the subject that way
until they saw it in my photos. I view things with a fascination for the form or
subject and can only hope that the photo conveys that to others. If I focus on
Armenian themes, it’s probably because my life is consumed by them. I do believe
that the Armenian people are a fascinating race with some of the richest colors
and spices in life. I love to share that with people who may or may not relate
to my experience. Armenia is also considered one of (if not the) oldest modern
nations, which has risen and fallen, played a vital role in the make up of
today’s world, but has gone unnoticed, almost neglected. I simply take the
opportunity to share it with the world where few others do.
Let's
talk about your work with System of a Down, how did you first get to work with
them? for how long?
My first chance to shoot System was in 2000 when they headlined for the SnoCore
Tour at The Avalon in Boston. It was for an interview I conducted with Serj for
an Armenian youth magazine. After I returned to DC in 2003 to work for the ANCA,
one of my first projects was to make use of the donation from the first SOULS
concert. We decided to put it towards a mass postcard campaign, providing
hundreds of thousands of Armenian Americans with postcards they would then
forward to then Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and Majority Leader Tom
DeLay, urging passage of the Genocide Resolution to a vote. They decided to hold
another SOULS concert on which we collaborated, preparing informational booklets
on the genocide for mass distribution at the concert and organizing relevant
non-profit booth presence to educate the masses on human rights issues. I
attended several of their concerts for either working booths or shooting, which
they were very gracious to permit. My purpose in shooting was purely for the
sake of capturing a moment in time that was so significant for so many of my
peers. Until my very last days in the US, I was shooting them at the protests in
DC. I have not worked with them since.
You followed with your camera Serj & John in their Genocide rally in several
places, along with their visit to the Congress and 'Screamers' movie screening
too, how was that photographing experience and as an Armenian, how do you see
these efforts can make the Genocide recognition happen?
Some of my earliest memories as a child are attending protests in Washington, DC
at the Turkish Embassy and the White House. Year after year, attendance would
dwindle, survivors passed away, and motivation slowed down. Decades of
protesting with no results began to take its toll on the community’s focus and
energy, but never its determination. While the world stood by and watched the
genocide take place in Rwanda wondering how we could let it happen, Armenians
around the world were still waiting for acknowledgement of our own genocide 80
years prior. There were always the few that never lost their perseverance and
drive. They continued to carry the cause through all doubt, making it possible
to pass the torch on to those who had power and influence to take it further. In
the early ‘00s, despite the White House’s decision to pull the genocide
resolution as it was going to a vote, the cause began to gain momentum as
scholars and artists were making themselves heard. Samantha Power wrote the
Pulitzer Prize winning book “Problem from Hell: America and the Age of
Genocide,” which drew international attention to the epidemic of genocide,
starting with denial of 1915. Turkish scholar Taner Akçam was speaking openly
and honestly about the genocide.
Orhan Pamuk and Hrant Dink faced charges of
insulting Turkishness for making reference to the killings of Armenians.
Armenian filmmaker Atom Egoyan directed a film that dealt with the genocide,
earning the audience of all North America. Sibel Edmonds spoke out about
wiretaps revealing Turkish bribes to elected officials. US Ambassador to
Armenia, John Evans spoke publicly about the genocide against US policy, despite
their termination of his position and outrage at his dissent. The Boston Globe
and New York Times changed their policy on forbidding usage of the word genocide
when describing the events of 1915. More and more elected officials, including
John Kerry, Barack Obama, and Nanci Pelosi, were speaking firmly on the genocide
issue. A domino effect began and System of a Down contributed to the momentum.
They were in the position to not only educate the masses about the genocide and
draw public attention to the matter, but they were also vital in connecting the
issue to an overall human rights campaign to stop genocide anywhere and
everywhere. This was a turn in focus, which now affects the way this issue is
viewed today.
When
Serj and John visited Washington, they drew record numbers to the annual DC
protest and public attention to our message. Media came in from all over the
world to cover the event, their meetings on the Hill allowed us to reach more
offices than usual, and they inspired more people to get involved. For the first
time, I saw heads turning that never raised a brow in the previous 90 years.
Their visit made a difference, and it motivated the community to keep fighting.
As for Screamers, the film drills home the story of what it’s all about. For
those who were System fans and didn’t know about the cause, it filled in the
gaps. For those who had been fighting for recognition all these years, it put
into perspective what the new face of Armenian American grassroots has become.
In Armenia where the fight for recognition is quite moot, and the phenomenon of
System’s success is mysterious, bringing Carla Garapedian (director) to present
Screamers here was also a telling tale. For the first time, Armenian citizens
began to understand what the fight was all about and learned more about their
brothers and sisters across the world.
From your experience shooting System, who was the most difficult to shoot?
and usually how was the vibe getting photos for the band?
Each band member is incredibly photogenic and their personalities really show
through on stage. I’ve shot tons of concerts and usually there’s only so much
you can capture of someone singing into a microphone. But in System’s case,
because they are so active on stage and dynamic in presence, it’s really tough
keeping up with them, capturing as many frames as possible. It was the toughest
challenge and the most rewarding… and fun.
 But my favorite moments were chatting with the fans in the pit before the band
hit the stage. Some of the fans kept grabbing at me, some tried to trade places
with me, begged for my pass, asked how I got there… some just wanted to talk
about the music or how great the band is. They were real fans and I loved
interacting with them. That’s always the best vibe I got from those shows… that
and when the band members looked straight into my camera for the perfect shot.
The
most unique story took place during the campaign in DC. Many months prior to
their visit, they had gone to Chicago to protest at Speaker Hastert’s district
office, requesting a meeting to discuss putting the genocide resolution to a
vote. At the time, the Speaker was holding the vote back, after accusations of
taking bribes from the Turkish lobby. Serj continued to bombard him with
requests for a meeting, especially leading up to the DC visit, to which Hastert
refused continuously. As we roamed the halls of Congress, going door to door of
several Congressman, we departed with Senator Allen’s office where the Chief of
Staff offered to escort us through the “members only” route so that they could
see some of the historic sites and make it to the next meeting on time. As we
passed through the dome, kids started identifying Serj and John already,
throwing us into a rush. We quickly navigated through to the next room… and then
the next room when we realized we went the wrong way. We returned to where the
high school kids were murmuring only to find Speaker Hastert himself, greeting
some of the kids… not a common sighting around the Hill at all. Without
hesitation, John went in for the kill to corner him, and Serj stopped him in his
path. I didn’t think my camera could snap quickly enough. I barely even heard
the conversation over the click of my shutter. It was clear on Hastert’s face
that he realized what was going on and needed to get out of there. Relentlessly,
Serj articulated the importance of the resolution and reminded the Speaker that
it was an issue he could no longer brush under the rug. We walked away and it
took me a good hour before the chills stopped running down my spine.
Do you have any current projects you're working on?
I just started compiling my entire life’s work of photography to tell the story
of my experience as an Armenian American growing up in the US, then repatriating
to Armenia. I’m hoping through this process to portray the advancement of the
Armenian Diaspora over the last 20 years, simultaneously with Armenia itself
after the collapse of the Soviet Union, war, earthquake and economic collapse.
As children, we grew up with Armenian culture as a static and historic identity
to be preserved, one that faded every day with assimilation. I want to show that
this is not the case and that the Armenian identity in the Diaspora in Armenia
is more alive than ever. I’ve had a rare opportunity to see so many aspects of
Armenian life which have played key roles in defining our identity, and I
carried a camera with me along the way.
The book is titled “My Nation: The Trails and Trials of an Armenian
Repatriate” and will be released in May 2008. I’ll be updating information
on the progress and availability at
www.mynation.am and
www.deemcommunications.com . Meanwhile, my photos are always on display at
www.digitalrailroad.net/arsineh.
Thanks Arsineh ~:)
You can catch up more photos for Arsineh in SOADFans PhotoGallery:
http://www.soadfans.com/MeG-showgall-gid-114.htm
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