Mnemonic devices
In this body of work I explore the concept of "Mnemonic devices", the art of memory. A device, such as a formula or rhyme or associations of emotionally striking images, used as an aid in remembering. This is based on the principle that the typical human mind easily remembers personal or otherwise meaningful information rather than arbitrary sequences. The word mnemonic is derived from the Ancient Greek word mnémonikós ("of memory") and is related to Mnemosyne ("remembrance"), the name of the goddess of memory in Greek mythology. Memory (remembrance) defines reality for each of us, shaping our identity and effects our believe system.
In this series I’ve created a narrative mnemonic for a collective melancholy, stripped from their personal identity and making them universal for each viewer to recognise their own personal memory.
| University of Stellenbosch Art Gallery 2010 |