Highways & Landscape 2 Armenia 2024
Highways & Landscape 2 takes place in Armenia and, like the previous chapter set in Georgia, includes vague glimpses through the windshield.
The farther we travelled into Armenia, the more monotonous the landscape seemed to become. Mountain, village, farmland. Mountain, village, farmland. Mountain, village, farmland. And everything in between was dry and rocky. Still, this vast, rugged terrain felt shaped by time and history. Can all that echoes be felt in the land itself? Armenia was the first officially Christian state in the world. That thought lingered as the scenery shifted—subtle yet sudden—with every mile past the Georgian border. Even the vegetation, the light, and the air took on a different colour, a different smell. And sometimes, far in the distance, we could already see them: two peaks on the horizon—one larger, one smaller. Ararat and its little brother.
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"Highways & Landscape" explores how landscapes shape and are shaped by cultural narratives. In Georgia, the expansive Rikoti Pass, cutting through lush and rugged hills, mirrors the country’s broader economic aspirations as a bridge between Europe and Asia. Meanwhile, Armenia's well-maintained roadways tell a different story—one of arid soils, endurance and resilience.
Mount Ararat looms large in this narrative. It holds profound significance in Armenian culture, though it remains out of reach—always visible on the horizon, almost within grasp, yet forever distant on Turkish territory. Scattered memorials across Armenian cities serves as another solemn witness of the Ottoman genocide of the Armenian people—persistent reminders of historical trauma and national identity
