Oral History Matters — In(Sight) House Talks: Does it Feel Like Home?

About the Event:

In(Sight) House Talks is part of a larger ongoing initiative, Oral History Matters, which is meant to increase the visibility of oral history as a research methodology. The series is an extension of an August 2023 exhibition collectively curated by a team of recently graduated AUA students showcasing their research projects and capstones. How can oral history open up space for forms of knowledge that have been denied and silenced by dominant and oppressive research practices? How can we build deep connections with our research participants? What insights do we gain from the latter about our research process and ourselves as researchers? How do we voice silences? These are some of the questions the speakers will explore.

About the Speaker:

Arpine Ghambaryan (BAEC ‘23) completed her BA in English and Communications with a minor in gender studies at the American University of Armenia. Her research interests include the personal narratives of marginalized communities through the method of oral history and visual modes of study such as photography and filmmaking. Currently, Arpine is a teaching associate for the Research Projects in Gender Studies course at AUA and is working on a few research projects in Armenia.

Does it feel like home?

This project explores the relationship between place and memory, time and relations, human connections and personal stories by weaving intergenerational narratives of my mother, my grandmother’s friend Shogik, and my own. I created a film that allows each one of us to plant the seeds of our memories and give life to them as long as we have the privilege of carrying them with us. The project is also a conversation with myself and the world in an artistic way. The text and the film work together to produce a multi-layered narrative of my research, shedding light on the importance of personal stories for the production of knowledge. This project is how I deal with grief. I grieve my grandparents’ passing as I grieve about disconnecting from Jungliner, a neighborhood in Vanadzor that created a significant part of my childhood memories. I explore the ways in which these memories were constructed over time and became imprinted in my mind, forever reminding me of the power of that place.

Language: English