How We Live – Finding Dignity in Armenia

How We Live, the searing portrait of how some of Armenia’s poorest are living on society’s margins, is open one more evening, Sunday, April 18, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Sara Anjargolian's photos portray the searing, cruel struggles that several Armenian families confront daily.  The exhibit's curator is Narineh Mirzaeian, a Los Angeles-based designer and architect at Gehry Partners. We live in a disposable society; so much of what we use gets tossed into the bin and is forgotten.  So one aspect of the exhibit I wanted to share before its closing was the story of Grigor Karapetyan, whom Sara got to know during her trips to Armenia for this project. What was so touching about Sara’s photos was how we also forget about some of our poorest neighbors who struggle the most day to day. Grigor and his family live outside Etchmiadzin, the center of the Armenian church’s Holy See.  He treats the garbage dump outside Etchmiadzin like his office:  he traipses across the dump daily in searching for items that he can sell to support is family.  On the day Sara went to follow him, he put on a clean shirt, shaved, and showed Sara his quiet grace and dignity.  Read on:

Grigor, 29, rummages through a garbage dump in search of metals, plastics, and glass to sell and shoes to burn for fuel. Grigor lives with his wife, three young children, and mother in a shack within walking distance from the garbage dump. He is usually at the dump by 6am, when the trucks arrive with fresh garbage, and stays until 5pm. On good days, Grigor is able to sell what he finds at the dump for three to five dollars, which he uses to buy food for his family. Grigor lives on the outskirts of Etchmiadzin, which is the fourth largest city in Armenia and is located 20 km west of Armenia’s capital Yerevan. Etchmiadzin, Armenia, 2009. - Quoted from email correspondence with Sara Anjargolian

Again, if you happen to be in the LA area, do not miss this exhibit. How We Live is open Sunday night April 18, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., at: Casitas Studios
3229 Casitas Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90039 (Atwater Village) Schools and community groups may email info@howwelive.org to schedule tours. Special thanks to Sara Anjargolian for sharing the photo with us.