Anush Babajanyan

Battered Waters

winner of the Romano Cagnoni Award

curated by Benedetta Donato
in collaboration with Fondazione Romano Cagnoni

Location: Palazzo Guinigi, Via Guinigi, 29

Opening days and hours:
Monday – Thursday from 15:00 to 19:00
Friday – Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00


The scarcity of water in Central Asia is the starting point for Anush Babajanyan’s journey along the banks of the Syr-Darya and Amu-Darya rivers, from their mouths in the Aral Sea to their sources in the heart of the mountains, crossing the four countries of the area under investigation: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. An unknown situation, which this work has brought to the centre of international attention, with lengthy research focusing on the consequences that the lack of water resources and the absence of anti-waste management policies have on the environment and the population, to which is added the impact of the crisis caused by climate change. Over the years, Anush has come into direct contact with the people, witnessing the different aspects of daily life and gathering, with a rare ability to listen, concerns and hopes regarding a very uncertain future and the drama of potential conflicts between peoples who have always lived in harmony. And with the people, the author dwells at length, bringing out their capacity to adapt and their willingness to find solutions for change, to safeguard the ecosystem and guarantee its future prospects.
Battered Waters was recognised by the Jury, chaired by Patricia Franceschetti
Cagnoni, as: «The long-term project that interpreted the theme of this edition with originality and sensitivity. A photographic series documenting the serious water crisis affecting four countries in Central Asia, landlocked and suffering from water scarcity, focusing on the environmental issue – as a crucial issue of our time and an essential element for living beings – and at the same time bringing out the humanity and resilience of the people struggling to survive.
The author’s dedication and perseverance deliver profound messages through photographs, which are able to make us aware».

BIOGRAPHY
Armenian photographer Anush Babajanyan is a member of VII Photo Agency and a National Geographic Explorer. Anush focuses her work on social narratives and personal stories. In addition to working extensively in the South Caucasus, she continues to photograph in Central Asia and around the world. Anush Babajanyan has recently published her book on Nagorno-Karabakh, called A Troubled Home.
Anush is the winner of the 2019 Canon Female Photojournalist Grant, and a laureate of the Prix Photo Terre Solidaire. She is a winner in the World Press Photo 2023 Contest’s Long Term Projects category. Her photography has been published in The New York Times, Washington Post, National Geographic, Foreign Policy Magazine, and other international publications.