An Exhibition on Contemporary
Armenian Life in  Istanbul

The USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies announces the debut of The Ones Who Stayed, a photography exhibition on the Armenian community of Istanbul.

Presented as part of the Institute’s Armenian History Month programming series, the project poses a fundamental question: If we centered presence rather than absence, vitality over erasure, how would we see ourselves?

While loss is a central theme of the Armenian experience in Turkey, the history of continuity and resilience holds equal importance. The exhibition features interviews with a diverse group of Istanbul Armenians and images that document their complex and vibrant reality.

The Institute invites you to the debut and reception on Thursday, April 30 at 7:00 PM in Los Angeles. The event will include a Q&A with Institute Managing Director Maral Tavitian, who founded the project, and photographer Alexis Pazoumian, moderated by Institute Project Manager Manuk Avedikyan.

Following the debut, the exhibition will be open to the public for viewing on Friday, May 1 from 5:00 – 8:00 PM and Saturday, May 2 from 1:00 – 4:00 PM. Those interested in visiting outside these hours may email armenian@usc.edu to schedule an appointment.  

This project is supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s արդ եւս / in view Western Armenian Culture Grant Program. The exhibition is presented by the USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies, with additional fiscal sponsorship by Los Angeles City Council District 13. The event is co-sponsored by the Organization of Istanbul Armenians in Los Angeles.

WHAT: The Ones Who Stayed: An Exhibition on Contemporary Armenian Life in Istanbul

WHEN: Thursday, April 30 | 7:00 PM

WHERE: 3191 Casitas Avenue, No. 162, Los Angeles, CA 90039