Notes from Vanadzor
Armenia
2022
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Vanadzor was one of those cities that saw all its factories shut down. The now sleeping city was never redeveloped; the new did not come to replace the old. Surrounded by mountains, the city was cut off from the world and became known as “the most depressing city in Armenia”. Nowadays, however, there is a widespread aspiration, especially among young people, to move to another location, the capital no longer being the sole destination. Lots of young people have therefore chosen to live and create in Vanadzor. Following several of these newcomers, Sona Mnatsakanyan shows how they interact differently with their surroundings. While some want to leave shortly after their arrival, others are happy to stay and make plans for their future in Vanadzor.
Portfolio
About the artist
Sona Mnatsakanyan, born in 1999, is an Armenian visual artist working with photography and film. From 2016 to 2019 she studied cinematography at Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography (YSITC). Since 2018, she is engaged in both documentary and conceptual photography. She is the laureate of the Armenian President’s Prize for her Analogue photo series.