"Memory" 2016 - 2017

 

     My personal view on Memory as a notion, is one that focuses on its complexity and uniqueness as a system. Specifically, I am interested in the way that memory is substantialized via acceptance, rejection, and confusion of experiences, often structuring an irrational but functional result. It is a topic based on the research of human existence, as one can notice that we tend to distort, selectively forget or remember and even believe self-imposed fictional events in order to serve conscious or subconscious goals. All these attributes render memory a system that characterizes a person as well as being characterized by a person, having unique freedom as many of these functions are rooted in the subconscious.

     The artistic approach of this topic is one that focuses on artworks that often have a multifaceted and diverse style. Specifically, many of them make use of multiple layers that can have major differences, often being covered by fabrics, photographs, and many other materials. It is a reference to the memory-creating process that can frequently suppress older memories, establishing newer ones while only remnants of the old ones remain. Another crucial part is the common appearance of numbers, an element that directly has a relation to both the calculative as well as the random characteristics of memory, as no matter the complexity and distortion there is a reference to an absolute beginning. Another frequent element is the inclusion of sketches, photographs, and writing, a collection of fragmented images that introduce actual references to this largely random assembly. The human form is something uncommon in terms of direct visualization, but it is an emergent feature, characterized by the collection of artistic approaches mentioned above. The ultimate goal is to characterize human existence in relation to the process of memory, the process that largely creates a sense of identity and personality.