Care to care 

This video was inspired by three archival photographs I encountered several years ago during my research. In these images, orphaned girls sit in a line, each gently combing the hair of the one in front of her (dating from around 1916–1920). This simple yet deeply moving gesture has stayed with me ever since. It embodies tenderness among girls who have no mothers, sisters, grandmothers, or aunts—becoming a powerful metaphor for solidarity among women. What begins as an intimate act between two individuals transforms into a collective expression of care, strength, and connection.

For many years, I have been working with wool and artificial hair, exploring the symbolic and tactile dimensions of combing. In 2013, I created and performed a Combing Performance as part of my series Semantic Fields, in which the word “Together” was written or “stitched” into paper using long strands of wool, later to be combed as part of the performance.

In October 2022, supported by a work grant from the Berlin Senate, I traveled to Armenia to film nine young women combing each other’s hair. The harshness of the surrounding landscape contrasts beautifully with the tenderness and care expressed in their gestures.

Duration: 6 min 32 sec
Concept and Realization: Silvina Der Meguerditchian
Camera: David Galstyan, Emgy Ruiz, Silvina Der Meguerditchian
Editing: Silvina Der Meguerditchian
Qanun Improvisation: Avedis Neehus
Color Grading: Silvina Der Meguerditchian
Sound: Silvina Der Meguerditchian / Ignacio Cantisano