VCU successful with multimedia exhibition, 'This is Alex'

By Lindsay McClaire
University News Services

VCU has concluded “This is Alex,” a multimedia exhibition about the real man behind VCU’s registration and enrollment process.

The subject of the exhibit was Alex Ghazarian of VCU’s Office of Records and Registration, who has been helping VCU students navigate the enrollment and registration process for more than 30 years.

Held in Ghazarian’s workplace in Founder’s Hall, the exhibition included film, photography, drawing, sculpture, text, sound and video. For more than a month, it greeted and engaged more than 10,000 students registering for summer and fall classes.

The project was created by a group of 12 graduate film and photography students in VCU’s School of the Arts, in collaboration with Jon Rubin of Carnegie Mellon University. Rubin served as a visiting faculty member in the Department of Photography and Film.

Among the items for viewing was a movie trailer for "A Man Called Alex," a film that explored Ghazarian’s western movie fantasy. Jake Dodd, Shane Rocheleau and Bryant Dameron authored the project.

During the exhibit Vita Litvak, one of the designers, installed a sign that renamed the building Alex Hall as a tribute to Ghazarian. Inside Alex Hall a large map of Alex’s personality, experiences and connections also was displayed.

In addition, the project included posters of Ghazarian throughout campus, a video titled “May I Help You?” that documented Ghazarian in his work environment, interviews with family members, friends and acquaintances during dinners and gatherings and still images of Ghazarian.

To view the film and for more information on the project, visit www.amancalledalex.com.