WhiteWall - Partner of the Circulation(s) festival 2022

A highly anticipated 14th edition

Circulation(s), organized by the Fetart collective, has successfully established itself as one of the major events of the photography scene in Europe through its demanding selection process and daring program. Combining exhibitions, workshops, portfolio readings, and meetings with artists in an equally artistic venue in the heart of Paris, Circulation(s) offers a varied, innovative and high-quality program, aimed at photography enthusiasts and more. The artistic committee of Circulation(s) is made up of 10 professional curators, who are eager to discover young talents and new trends. Each year, after a call for projects, the committee receives more than 1000 applications from international artists who would like their work to be included. These are carefully reviewed by the jury and about thirty artists per edition are selected. Clara Chalou, curator of the exhibition, and a WhiteWall expert will discuss the process of holding an exhibition during the professional weekend that will take place on 04/09/2022. Register to participate.

All related information can be found in the Circulation(s) program.

Circulation(s) - Festival for Young European Photography

Video Image

Spotlight on Armenia at Circulation(s)

Each year, the festival focuses on the rising artists of one country. In 2022, it's Armenia that will be represented by four young artists. In Armenia, it is particularly difficult to make a living from photography, but it nevertheless remains an essential medium there for bearing witness to both the past and present.

This small European country is landlocked between Turkey in the west and Azerbaijan in the east. And as Vaghinak Ghazaryan, one of the photographers exhibited, explains, it has experienced some tragic events through the course of its history. The war in Nagorno-Karabakh is a notable example of one of these tragedies, and two of the series in the exhibition focus on it. "Confused Space" documents the traces left by the war and the grief of families that the photographer followed for many months in this work. Areg Balayan also highlights the suffering and loss caused by war, but as the title of the series indicates, the photographer is searching for light in the darkest tragedies. The two other series present more personal perspectives while exploring the issues that affect Armenian society today. Karén Khachaturov's colorful "Self-destruction" series focuses on depression, and Sona Mnatsakanyan's "Notes from Vanazdor" series creates a portrait of different individuals in a neglected Armenian city using a collection of notes and photos.

woman drinking off a oversized drinking cup labeled "HOPE" with a drinking straw - photo by Karén Khachaturov.
Karén Khachaturov, Self Destruction

Karen Khachaturov is an Armenian photographer and film-maker  born in 1992. Through surrealist and highly dramatic aesthetics, he creates scenes that are sometimes incomprehensible to illustrate  an absurd world. His work has been exhibited in Armenia and  internationally (Tbilisi, Tel Aviv, Beijing, Shenzhen, Toronto, Sydney,  New York).

silk like fabric with debris on it - photo by Vaghinak Ghazaryan.
Vaghinak Ghazaryan, Confused space

Vaghinak Ghazaryan was born in 1974 in Yerevan, Armenia.  He graduated from the Academy of TV and Radio, and later from the  National Association of Art Critics (AICA Armenia). His photo Resting  Soldier was awarded the third prize for “Contemporary Issues” in the  singles category of the 2021 World Press photo contest and third place  single in the Lens Culture photography prize “Home 21".

Cargo vehicle with a shed on the trailer driving on a foggy road - photo by Areg Balayan.
Areg Balayan, A la recherche de la lumière perdue

Areg Balayan was born in Yerevan (Armenia) in 1980 and studied  graphic arts at the Igityan Art Institute. He started his career as a  freelance photographer in 2005, after serving two years in the army.  Director of the PAN Photo office in Nagorno-Karabakh, he regularly  collaborates with international institutions such as the UN, UNIDO  or the YMCA. In 2020, Areg Balayan documented the conflict in the  Tavush region and the 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

portrait of a woman sitting with her dog on her bed holding her mobile phone in her hand - photo by Sona Mnatsakanyan.
Sona Mnatsakanyan, Notes from Vanadzor

Sona Mnatsakanyan was born in 1999 in Yerevan, Armenia.  After studying film directing at Yerevan State Institute of Theatre  and Cinematography from 2016 to 2019, she now attends an online  Photography programme at Fotografiska St Petersburg. She has  worked in the fields of photography and cinematography. She received  the Boghossian Foundation Prize in Lebanon, in the “art” category  in 2019.

Exhibition photos produced by WhiteWall

As a partner of the Circulation(s) festival, WhiteWall produced all the pieces in the exhibition from the Armenian art scene.

The picture on the right shows the realization of the framing (Floater Frame) in our workshop of a photograph of Areg Balayan laminated on Alu Dibond.

photo of the exhibition as a floater frame in the production.
Self-destruction on Hahnemühle Paper

Karén Khachaturov's "Self-destruction" series was mainly printed on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Fine Art paper, which is ideal for bringing out the pastel tones of the photos. Notes written by the artist have been added next to each photo.

Confused Space presented under matte acrylic glass

Photographs from the "Confused Space" series that follows traces of the war were printed on Fuji Crystal DP II paper, then laminated under matte acrylic glass and framed in black oak. The depth of the matte acrylic glass brings out the depth of the photos perfectly, and the dark frame accentuates the intensity.

"Notes from Vanazdor" on Alu Dibond

The "Notes from Vanazdor" series mixes photos, collages, and notes. It was mainly printed on photo paper and then laminated on Alu Dibond and finally framed with a wood Artbox. The three photos of the protagonists' notebooks were laminated on matte acrylic glass and then framed in a gold slimline frame.

"A la recherche de la lumière perdue" on Alu Dibond

Photos from the "A la recherche de la lumière perdue" series were also printed on photo paper, laminated on matte Alu Dibond and framed in a floater frame.

close up of a photo of the exhibition as an acrylic print in a golden slimline case.
close up of a photo of the exhibition as a hahnemühle fine art print.
close up of a photo of the exhibition as an acrylic print in a solid wood gallery frame.
close up of a photo of the exhibition as a hahnemühle fine art print.
Circulation(s) festival 2022

Interview with the curators of the exhibition

Tell Me More