The exhibition at Kalfayan Galleries marks the first presentation of works from the new series of ‘memory-carpets’ by Silvina Der Meguerditchian, titled ‘The Texture of Identity’. The works offer a tactile yet powerful fusion of past and present, where photographs and fragments are meticulously woven into contemporary forms. For the first time in this series, Meguerditchian includes recent photographs she has taken in cities she visited over the last twenty years, each affected by political upheaval or war—such as Aleppo in 2006, Stepanakert and Shushi (Nagorno Karabakh) in 2008, Diyarbakir in 2014, and Beirut in 2018. These works serve as an homage to the enduring memory of daily life in these cities, minimal monuments merging the temporal with the timeless in a reverent tribute.

Through collage, sculpture, and immersive installations, Der Meguerditchian probes the intersections of personal narratives with collective memory, exploring questions of coexistence in(post-)migrant societies. Her expansive installations create spaces for reflection and critical engagement, inviting viewers to confront and consider complex cultural narratives.

Using everyday objects, traditional textiles, and personal artifacts, she crafts narratives that examine themes of displacement, cultural heritage, and resilience. Her work seamlessly integrates archival materials—photographs, documents, letters—with abstract elements, establishing a dialogue between memory and forgetting, presence and absence. These compositions function as thought exercises on loss and recovery, urging audiences to reflect on the ways history is both constructed and deconstructed.

Short Bio

Silvina Der Meguerditchian is the granddaughter of Armenian immigrants to Argentina. She was born in 1967 in Buenos Aires and since 1988 has been based in Berlin, Germany. She works in different media (video, sculptures, installations, performances among others) and explores themes of belonging, the role of minorities in society, and the potential of an "in-between" space. At the heart of her work are memory, engaging with archives, and exploring how past experiences can shape possible fruitful futures. Der Meguerditchian is the artistic director of the Houshamadyan project, a multimedia memory book for Armenian Ottoman history. The artist was a fellow at the Tarabya Academy of Culture in 2014/15. Der Meguerditchian has exhibited internationally. Shows include among others “Armenity”, at the Armenian Pavilion (Golden Lion Award - 56th Venice Biennale). Grants and awards include: Falkenrot Prize 2021/2, Berlin Senate work grant (2022), European Cultural Foundation (ECF), Soros Foundation, Heinrich Böll Foundation, the Goethe Institut, the Tufenkian Foundation, the City of Berlin, the German Foreign Ministry, the Anadolu Kültür Foundation and the Gulbenkian Foundation. Since 2014, she has worked with "Women mobilizing memory," a group of artists, writers, social activists, and memory scholars working internationally. Her book ‘Fruitful Threads’ was published in 2020 by Verlag für Moderne Kunst (Wien). In January 2025 the artist will present a grand scale solo exhibition at Kunstraum Kreuzberg (Berlin).