Unfinished (2006) is a series of photographs taken in several cities in the Middle East, where photography has traditionally seen an abundance of work with a focus on architecture, particularly ruins and archaeological sites. Departing from the usual forms and structures, and ignoring any ‘oriental’ aspects, Unfinished was shot in places undergoing change: buildings under construction are shown as uncompleted monuments, often unnoticed, which only become briefly present when they appear on the landscape and the image. Sarkissian uses frontal shots, light, and composition to emphasize the theatricality of these bare spaces. Human beings are absent, yet their presence is made tangible by the fact that these are constructions by and for mankind.
