Welcome to Afaryan!

Afaryan is Kalle Hamm’s and Dzamil Kamanger’s art project where they explore memories of the former villagers of Upper Afaryan, an abandoned Kurd village in Iran. The most important feature here is not historical facts but the personal experiences of individual people.

Material based on memories is not always considered a reliable source: the memory can be mistaken and the senses deceptive. However, matters are not always so simple. Most written sources are ultimately based on oral information, for example newspaper interviews and eye witness statements.

It is a generally acknowledged fact is that history is written by the victors. The memories of individual people can therefore provide different perspectives to those of mainstream documented history. In some cases they can provide the only source for gaining insight into a collective experience. We all have a right to our own history.

This web page contains background information for Kalle Hamm’s and Dzamil Kamanger’s art exhibition, which is the first phase of releasing the material of their journeys in Upper Afaryan. Enjoy your journey to Afaryan!

Afaryan at Galleri Sinne