Marco Barbieri is a photographer of Italian/Czech origins based in London. An avid traveler and observer, he tries to document unexpected realities and apply a highly compositional style to daily scenes. He has an interest in places where religion and politics play important roles in people lives. He is keen to understand how these forces affect the daily routine of the population and how, at the same time, life inevitably tends to go on as usual. Today we look at his series What the West Forgets.
What the West Forgets
Nagorno-Karabakh is a “De Facto” Republic located in South Caucasus. It has a president, a parliament, a capital and an army, but it’s only recognised by 3 nations and contended between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On Google maps the only sign of this country’s existence is its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Technically it’s an inactive war zone. Marco Barbieri traveled to Nagorno-Karabakh and assisted the celebrations for the anniversary of their independence. He met the inhabitants, visited borders and the cities bombed during the 1994 war with Azerbaijan. This essay documents a journey through Armenia to a place that technically does not exist.
To see more of Marco’s work, please visit his website.