The arts of memory : the remembrance of the Armenians in Turkey

Abstract

Despite the continuing silence and censorship, there is a plethora of initiatives that commemorate the Armenian genocide in Turkey. None however has remained unchallenged. Most breakthroughs take place outside the “official” history. This study focuses on one particular sphere: the cultural one. How is the Armenian genocide represented in literature, the visual arts, commemorative architecture and films in Turkey? How do cultural texts, which broach the question of memory, function within this specific political and social setting? What aspects of history do they expose?