“Room” (Սենյակ) 2021

“Room” (Սենյակ) (2021) – single channel experimental video art

Duration: 00:15:22. Original language: Armenian 

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Italian

Distribution: Vidéographe Artist Run Centre, Montreal

Trailer (full work available on Vithéque Contact Vidéographe or the artist directly for inquiries)

Q&A with Vidéographe Artist Run Centre, Montreal, QC

Anna Grigorian’s experimental project “Room” (Սենյակ [sɛnˈjɑk] ) reflects on the issues of violence and murder cases of women through the dry text of judicial acts and series of choreographed actions. While the factual data used in the video is directly taken from the realities of Armenia, gender-based oppression and violence reaching physical retaliation and murder are ongoing and widespread, making the work relevant across countries.

The monotonous, calm recital of the murder cases is accompanied by a series of choreographed performativie actions staged by the artist, creating an allegorical space where the discourses on gender, boundaries of the body, and patriarchal order are deliberated upon through artistic expression. The texts are excerpts from judicial acts, taken from DataLex Judiciary Portal, and translated into English.

Support acknowledgment: Arts and Cultural Studies Laboratory Artist in Residence program (Armenia), and the Canada Council for the Arts (Canada).

SCREENINGS

2023 Room/Սենյակ – Vidéographe x VOX Expo : Bryony Dunne and Anna Grigorian, PROGRAMMING Curator: Dominique Sirois-Rouleau Montreal, Canada. October 2023

2023 Room/Սենյակ – “One Shot” Film Festival, Curator: Gagik Ghazareh. Yerevan, Armenia. June 2023

2023 Room/Սենյակ – Pebbles Underground Film and Video Art Online screening, JURY AWARD

2022 Room/Սենյակ – The Arthouse Film Festival, Austin, Texas United States Curators Liz Tabish & Giselle De La Rosa. Official Selection 

2022 Room/Սենյակ – LA Underground Film Forum, Los Angeles, United States. Organisers: Underground Film Society, Official selection

2022 Room/Սենյակ – FEMINISM CORPOREAL International Festival, Yerevan, Armenia. Official Selection. Curator: Susanna Gyulamiryan, co-curators: FemLibrary Armenia

2021 Room/Սենյակ – Yerevan Modern Art Museum, with support of  Canada Council for the Arts and Art and Cultural Studies Laboratory “Art Commune” International Artist in Residence Program, video screenings and discussions in Yerevan, Armenia

Author: anna
Anna Grigorian is an emerging experimental artist from Armenia, whose art practice is currently based between Canada and Armenia. With a background in sculpture, literature, and photography, her current chosen medium is moving image. Her video work revolves around socio political and economic problems, and examination of power relations, through mixing elements of theater, early cinema, and constructed surreal environments.