“Room”/Սենյակ

The work is available with English (current video), French, Spanish, and Italian subtitles:
Sous-titres français - https://vimeo.com/667949631/69a51f5fbc
Subtítulos español - https://vimeo.com/667949384/cb11a9a9d9
Sottotitoli in italiano - https://vimeo.com/670046691/6ffb110d20

Brief Synopsis: (English)

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.

Despite the violent topic, the work excludes direct violent imagery. The monotonous, calm recital of the murder cases is accompanied by a series of choreographed performative 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, verified through DataLex Judiciary Portal.

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