In the silence of memories I found the roots of my tree. This is an ancestral kaleidoscope, a fragile and limited archive of photographs that brings together both the deceased and the living. This work aims to construct a bridge across generations, pointing at the ease with which the memory of the past can dissolve.
It serves as a reminder on how an awareness of heritage shapes our understanding of self. By reconnecting with roots, a deeper insight emerges into personal identity and the sense of belonging.
Children of immigrants frequently experience tension between preserving family traditions and adapting to new cultural norms. The pressure to fit into society can dilute aspects of their self-image, where assimilation obscures personal identity while failing to foster full inclusion. This ongoing negotiation often results in a persistent experience of feeing on the outside.
This is an ongoing project that consists of several stages. At first a central piece of the blanket has been created using archival photographs of the Armenian side of the family, which was then taken to Armenia as a symbolic act of reconnecting to the roots of the land of origin. In the next phase, the blanket will be expanded with photographs from the remaining (Ukrainian) side of the family as to create the connections within and to leave a blank space for the upcoming.
