GLENDALE, Calif. — On display in Glendale is a temporary art installation in remembrance of the 44-day war between Armenians and Azerbaijanis over a land-locked region in the Caucasus called Nagorno-Karabakh.

The exhibit honors the nearly 4,000 Armenian soldiers and innocent civilians who lost their lives during the fighting and offers a chance for Armenian Americans in Los Angeles to heal from the trauma of that war.

Divided up into four different rooms called SHELTER, BUNKER, REVIVE and RITUAL, the space takes visitors on an emotional journey, as they grapple with loss while also celebrating Armenian resilience.

In the main room, which is SHELTER, there are thousands of weightless white ribbons hung up around the room, that were each carefully measured, cut and stamped with a fallen soldier’s name.

There are also hundreds of black ribbons for those missing in action, and dozens of red ribbons, which represent the prisoners of war.

“We chose that emergency SOS red color to signify that the fact that we want these soldiers back,” said Mari Mansourian, one of the seven artists who created the installation with the group She Loves Collective. 

Mansourian said creating the space was an emotional process and a huge undertaking. In fact, the art group, She Loves Collective, had to enlist the help of over 50 community volunteers to get it done.

She said the most difficult part of the process was realizing each ribbon represented a life that was lost in the war.

“You start reflecting and you realize these are not just letters and words on a paper. These are each individual people that have lost their lives,” Mansourian said.

The exhibit is on display at 250 N. Orange St. Glendale, CA now through Jan. 29, 2023. For hours and more information, visit shelovescollective.com.