© Hassan Ghonim

Rebecca Topakian (France, Armenia)
rebecca[dot]topakian[at]gmail[dot]com
Instagram

Lives and works between Paris region and Yerevan.
Resident at POUSH Manifesto.
Part of Mirage collectif.


Rebecca Topakian is a French-Armenian photographer and video artist working between the Paris region in France and Yerevan, Armenia. Navigating between documentary research and a poetic visual approach, her practice explores the intersections of identity, memory, and absence. Her practice navigates the boundaries between reality and fiction, the intimate and the political, mixing her own photographs with personal and found archives, blurring perceptions between past and present, mythology and reality. She plays with mythologies as narratives that are both deeply intimate and community-making.

Following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, she partially settled in Armenia, claimed her citizenship, and now divides her time between Yerevan and the Paris region.

Her work has received several awards and grants, including the Fénéon Prize (2021), the ADIAF Emerging Artist Prize (2023), the national commission Regards du Grand Paris (2021), and the BnF’s major national photography commission (2022). Her work has been exhibited at Les Rencontres d’Arles, Cité Internationale des Arts, MAC VAL, Casino Luxembourg, the Chicago Cultural Center or the Sungkok Museum. Her book Dame Gulizar and Other Love Stories was published with Blow Up Press in 2024. She is currently artist-in-residence for five months at Villa Kujoyama in Kyoto and will be exhibiting at the Gakuenmae Art Festa, in Nara and Paris Photo Emergence sector.


CV


ONGOING AND UPCOMING


 
2026. Paris Photo fair, with RosAlma, Emergence sector (12.11.2026 > 15.11.2026)
2026. Concentric Circles, Camion RosAlma, Photos Days

2026. Concentric Circles, Gakuenmae Art Festa,GM-1 gallery, curated by Sae Cardonnel (2026.11.7 > 2026.11.15)
2026. Chose Publique, Beffroi Saint-Martin, Souillac (02.10.2026 > 22.11.2026)
2026. [residency] Villa Kujoyama

SOLO & DUO SHOWS

2024. Dame Gulizar and Other Love Stories, curated by Théophile Calot, Delpire & Co, Paris, FR
2024. Along the crumbling wall, soon, the violet will bloom, curated by François Cheval, Borderline Art Space, Iaşi, RO
2018. Dame Gulizar and other love stories, AGBU, Yerevan, ARM
2018. Infra-, Caravanserail, London, UK
2017. Infra-, la Galerie du Rayon Vert, Quinzaine de la Photographie Nantaise, Nantes, FR
2016. Infra-, curated by Anne Immelé, Centre Culturel Français de Freibourg, Freibourg, Germany
2015. The Situation, Université d’Aix-Marseille

GROUP SHOWS (selection)

2026. Paris Unseen, Sungkok Museum, curated by Alain Sayag
2026. Danses Interdites, curated by Clément Postec, Le Nouveau Printemps
2026. Par-delà le mur de son, Maison Doisneau, curated by Aurélie Chêne
2025. Forever Young, MAC VAL, curated by Frank Lamy, assisted by Julien Blanpied
2025. L’envers de la fête, WAAO, Bazaar Saint So, Lille, FR
2025. Mondes en Communs, Musée départemental Albert Kahn, FR
2025. TUBE.PHOTO.DASH., Casino Luxembourg, curated by Théophile Calot, Luxembourg City

2025. Displacements and Torrents: Where the Dnipro and the Elbe Meet, curated by Sasha Baydal and Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, Ústí nad Labem House of Arts,Czech Republic
2024. Displacements and Torrents: Where the Dnipro and the Elbe Meet, curated by Sasha Baydal and Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, La Cité des Arts, Paris, FR

2024. Opening Passages: Photographers Respond to Chicago and Paris, curated by Carl Fuldner, Clément Postec, Pascal Beausse, 6018 North and Chicago Cultural Center Chicago, USA
2024. La France sous leurs yeux, BNF, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris, FR
2023. Borderline Ornaments, curated by Araks Sahakyan & Irena Popiashvili, Folk Arts Museum, Yerevan, AM
2023. Rencontres Photo du 10ème festival, Curated by Emmanuel Halkin, FETART, 10th arrondissement townhall, Paris, FR
2022. Regards du Grand Paris, Magasins Généraux, Pantin, FR
2022. Regards du Grand Paris, Les Ateliers Médicis, Clichy-sous-Bois, FR
2020. La volière, Poush Manifesto, curated by Yvannoé Kruger, Paris, FR
2019. The Center Is Not Holding, curated by Perwana Nazif, Real Pain Fine Arts, Los Angeles, USA
2019. Bad Girls Do It Well, La Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, FR
2018. Dreaming Alive, Focus: Armenia, Vienna Contemporary, Autriche, AT
2018. BIT20 - Biennale de l'Image, Tangible, galerie AAB, Paris, FR
2018. La flamme double, Biennale de l'image possible (BIP Liège), Les Brasseurs, Liège, BE
2017. Inventeurs d'aventures : épisode 2, curated by Gaël Charbau, La Villa Arson, Nice, FR
2017. CO-OP, Thread Count curated by Der Greif, Unseen Photo Fair, Amsterdam, NL
2017. Circulation(s), Le Centquatre, Paris, FR
2016. Festival MAP, Toulouse, FR
2016. Born and Die #001 : Na Zdravlje,  Galerie Arondit, Paris, FR
2015. Infra- à Échanges de vues, Les Filles du Calvaire, Paris, FR
2015. Infra- à Interstices, Chez Agnès B., Paris, FR
2015. Infra- à Olympus engage une conversation photographique, Enclos Saint-Césaire, Les Rencontres d’Arles 2015, Arles, FR

RESIDENCIES

2026. Artist in Kanazawa Machiya, Mitani Foundation x Kanazawa College of Art, in partnership with Villa Kujoyama, Kanazawa, JP
2026. La Villa Kujoyama, Kyoto, JP
2025. Cross-Looking East West residency, with Noor Images, Istanbul, TR
2025. Centre de la photographie de Mougins, Mougins, FR

2024. Borderline Art Space, Iasi, RO
2020. Les Essentielles, Gwinzegal, Guingamp, FR
2020. IKSV Istanbul, TR
2018-2019. La Cité Internationale des Arts de Paris, Paris, FR
2018. ACSL Art-Commune, Yerevan, AM
2015. The Independant Air, Silkeborg, DE
2014. La recherche de l’art, INSERM, Paris, FR

AWARDS, GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS

2025. Laureate, Aide à la Création, DRAC Ile-de-France
2025. Longlist, Kraszna Krausz book award
2024. Laureate - research grant ADAGP
2024. Laureate of Frutescens program by Centre photographique Rouen Normandie in the frame of European program FUTURES
2023. Laureate, ADIAF x Katawiki Emergence Prize
2022.  Shortlist, PH Museum Prize
2022. Laureate, Fénéon Prize
2021. Laureate with Araks Sahakyan for the duo grant «Bourse Transverse»
2021. Laureate, Cnap grant for contemporary documentary photography
2021. Laureate, grant «mécénat» of Fondation des Artistes
2021. Shortlist, Virginia Prize
2020. Shortlist residency Fondation de Treilles
2019. Shortlist FOAM Talent
2018. Finalist Author book prize, Rencontres d’Arles
2018. Creation grant, Armenia Art Foundation
2018. Travel grant, STEP Travel, Compagnia di San Paulo
2017. Finalist, Prix Mentor
2017. Selection, Festival Circulation(s)
2014. Creation grant Initiatives Jeunes
2014. Creation grant Défi Jeunes, CROUS
2013. Selection of SPBH 89+, Self Publish Be Happy with the Serpentine Gallery

COMMISSIONS

2022. Laureate, national commission «Radioscopie de la France», National Library (BNF) and Ministry of Culture
2021. Laureate, national commission «Regards du Grand Paris», CNAP and Ateliers Médicis

COLLECTIONS

CNAP (Centre National des Arts Plastiques)
BNF (Bibliothèque Nationale de France)
Fonds d’art contemporain - Paris Collections
Private collections

MONOGRAPHS

2024. Dame Gulizar and Other Love Stories, Blow Up Press
2022. Rouge Insecte, Sometimes Editions
2017. Infra-, Classe Moyenne Editions

CATALOGUES

2026. Paris Unseen, Sungkok Museum
2026. Résurgence, Beffroi Saint-Martin, Souillac
2025. Forever Young, catalogue d’exposition, Mac Val
2025. TUBE.PHOTO.DASH
2024. La France sous leurs yeux, Bibliothèque nationale de France
2022. Regards du Grand Paris, Editions Textuel
2022. BMCT Residency
2018. Biennale de l’Image Tangible, Plateforme Editions
2017. Busan Photo Festival, catalogue
2017. Circulation(s), le Bec en l’air Editions
2015. Échanges de vue, Filigranes
2015. Les Rencontres d’Arles 2015, Actes Sud
2015. Échappées belles, Diaphane
2014. Les Rencontres d’Arles, Actes Sud
2013. Habana Frikis, self-published

SCREENINGS

2017. Slideshow, Busan International Photography Festival, Busan, Korea
2017. Dame Gulizar, slideshow, Jeune Création, Thaddaeus Ropac Pantin, FR
2017. Dame Gulizar, slideshow, galerie Jeune Création, Les Grands Voisins, Paris FR
2017. Dame Gulizar, slideshow, galerie Espace pour l'art, Arles, FR
2017. L'attente l'oubli, projection, Biennale Mulhouse 00, FR
2017. Les fantômes du souk, projection, le 61, février 2017
2015. Barthes is Back, video projection, in collaboration with Aurélie Jacquet, Pierre-Marie Drapeau-Martin, Emilie Saubestre, Anne-Sophie Trischler, curated by Fabien Vallos, for « Barthes is Back », Théâtre d’Arles, Les Rencontres d’Arles 2015
2014. The Situation, projection, Fotoistanbul, Besiktas International Festival of Photography, Istanbul, 2014
2013. Self Publish, Be Happy 89+, projection et zine, dans le cadre du Marathon 89+, Serpentine Gallery, Londres, 2013

CONFERENCES, TALKS, WORKSHOPS (selection)

2026. “La résonance des ruines”, cycle de projections et discussions, UCO Angers
2025. Magnum x FUTURES 
2023. Aperture - Meet the artists : conversation avec Brendan Embser
2022. Talk with Araks Sahakyan, Salon du livre de Genève
2022. Conversation with Arto Vaun, Project Save
2022. Conference, université de Fouillole University, Guadeloupe
2022. Podcast «Kiffe ta race», Magasins Généraux, Pantin
2021. Roundtable with Pascal Beausse, Regards du Grand Paris, Les Rencontres d’Arles
2020. Roundtable, Lusted Men, Le hasard ludique
2020. Roundtable, Numérique Investigation, Jeu de Paume, Paris
2018.  Conversation, The Eyes, Paris Photo, Le Grand Palais, 11 nov
2018.  Conference, Alliance Française de Erevan, Armenia
2016. JEEP, Festival Circulation(s), le Centquatre
2016. Conférence, EXTRAFORT, Recyclart, Brussels, Belgium
2015. Rencontres Olympus, with Natacha Wolynski, Espace Fanton, Arles

TEACHING, MENTORING, WORKSHOPS

2025. Workshop, l’Orange Rouge
2024. Workshop, HEAR Mulhouse
2024. Mentoring, Passerelles program with Contemporaines
2023. Photography bachelor juror, EFET, Paris, FR

PRESS



RADIO / PODCASTS

2022. Kiffetarace - Regards du Grand Paris
2018. Station Station radio - Démons de minuit
2017.04. Radio Campus
2017.01.19. Radio Neo
2016.10.14 Radio Nova
2016.01.06 Les carnets de la création avec Aude Lavigne sur France Culture - podcast

PRESS PRINT + WEB

2025. Over Journal, Issue 4
2024. Brittish Journal of Photography
2023. Aperture
2023. ArteEast
2022. Al Hayya Magazine
2022. Beaux Arts Magazine
2019. Manifesto XXI, interview by Costanza Spina
2019. Lense, by Costanza Spina
2019. Splash and Grab, article by Hannah Geddes
2018. Lensculture feature and interview with Sophie Wright
2018. ArmenPress
2017. Entretien avec Fabien Ribery
2017. Der Greif: Artist Feature
2017. I-D Vice : 10 photographers
2017. Expo Paris
2017. Interview dans les Amours Alternatives
2015. Lunettes Rouges, « Découvertes : 5 »
2015. Self Publish, Be Happy : portfolio
2014. Self Publish, Be Happy : Book du jour
2014. Interview dans les Amours Alternatives
2015. Noisey FR
2014. Noisey ES
2014. Brain Magazine
2013. Self Publish, Be Happy, SPBH 89+ zine
2013. GQ Italia
2013. Le Tag Parfait
2013. HBA, Webzine de Photographies Argentiques, n° 2
2012. Le Tag Parfait


OTHER ACTIVITIES


Creator of  “Photographers for peace in Artsakh”, a charity prints sale that rose 44k€ in a month for the displaced people of Artsakh : Photographes pour la paix (2020)

Co-founder of artists, writers and researchers residency in Jericho, Palestine : el-Atlal (2014-2020).


EDUCATION



2015. Master equivalent, ENSP Arles, Arles
2010. BA in Philosophy, Paris I - La Sorbonne, Paris
2010. BA in Geography, Paris I - La Sorbonne, Paris
2007-2009. Preparatory Literary Class (first year: hypokhâgne, second year: khâgne) at Lycée Fénelon, Paris

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