Memories of the Land

  • Anna Block (Russia)
    a series of photographs (monochrome films/different techniques)

‘If you are not willing to see more than is visible, you won’t see anything’ – Ruth Bernhard.

I believe that every place on the earth, no matter people inhabited it or not, has its unique memory. The nature itself contains some energy information about all previous times till the moment of the birth of the Earth. Unfortunately people don`t have possibilities to read, describe and interpret this information. A man could only try to come closer to this space and feel the stream of this Knowledge contained in Nature and the Land. Every place is changed and developed under the influence of nature cataclysm, climate changes and human deeds, every time growing new “cultural layers”. This process resembles the stratification of annual growth rings of a tree. In this respect the territory of ancient Armenia land is particularly interesting. How that period of time when the legendary leader Ajk founded first state of Armenia, when ancient people first studied crafts and agriculture, when Armenia was influenced by georians and turks, when unique Armenian culture with it`s music, dances and songs was appearing do leave its traces on this territory? With what kind of energy did it endow this land and is it possible for a contemporary person to sink into it and feel this energy and interpret it with artistic tools? I`m trying to find out these memories of the Land focusing on not on the places themselves such as touristic sights but the atmosphere and the breath of the land trying to go beyond the visible side of the objects/space and to catch it`s inner state and some cross-points with my personal soul, inner world or state at a concrete time.

Anna Block