The Objects We Carry; The Memories We Share: Recollecting Collective Memories through Participatory Stop-motion with Personal Objects

Animated film can contribute to evoking and sharing the memories that are embodied by objects. Diaspora communities who are dispersed all over the world, such as the Armenian diaspora, maintain a myth or collective memory of their homeland. They carry objects with them that are representative of their roots and create a sense of belonging alongside objects that depict their everyday life and multicultural identity. Through their tangible and tacit aspects, these objects include rich stories that can be made visible through stop-motion photography, made in collaboration with community members who have no experience in film-making. We learned that the participatory animation approach and the resulting animation can support a collective expression and understanding. In this situated action and exhibition installation, we will present this participatory animation approach and resulting animated film.