A self-designed and self-directed project focusing on my childhood memories. Based on a life changing experience, when my childhood home was burned in August 2017, this project explores the connection between memories and time through my personal point of view. Three final outcomes using different material and techniques. Dedicated to the Greek citizens that lost their lives and homes from the fire in August 2018 in Mati, Greece and to my dearest grandfather.
1.1. REFLECTED
The first outcome is about my memories reflection in the present. The project is based on some of the few items saved after the fire, chosen them carefully, since each of them links to my childhood:
The design process of the final outcome of 4 different stages (from the left to the right):
Experimenting with the objects, their shadows and reflections, I used the final result as my main pattern, which i then projected onto my old burned childhood room. The shadow patterns that are projected on the walls indicate my childhood memories, and while these are not physically present, they still reflect in my present life. The memory of my childhood room without the objects themselves, just the reflection of my memories.
The use of the projector as the mean of the reflection of the pattern on the walls, has been chosen to highlight the reflection of my childhood memories through the 'digital' current world that I am living in now. The final result is monochrome, since I am not a child anymore.
1.2. UNFORGETABLE
Based on the previous pattern, I experimented with more materials and techniques. Researching about memories in the human brain, I focus on the hippocampus (the main part of humans' brain for the formation of longer duration and shorter duration memories). Based on it position, pattern and shape I experimented with it combining it with my childhood patterns and came up with a final result. After deigning the shape of the headpiece by hand, I then manipulated it digitally using AutoCad program in order to proceed in the production of it, using CNC Leiser cutter to give detail to its shape and pattern. I chose stainless steel for its creation due to 2 of its characteristics: its value (my memories are valuable), and its high corrosion resistance (my memories cannot get faded).
From the left to the right: hippocampus photo, hippocampus pattern handmade design, handmade design of the headpiece, final design of the headpiece using AutoCad Program.
The final outcome has a form of a headpiece which can be worn at the part of the head where 'hippocampus' is, shaped and designed based on my childhood pattern-memories. The headpiece represents my unforgettable memories which are placed next to hippocampus, becoming long-time memories.
1.3. TIMELESS
The last final outcome, refers to the strength and relationship between time and memories, as well as the importance of human will. Two different perspectives are visually represented through a series of photos. The walls in the photos indicates the time and the nature, while the chair represents the memories.
The series of photos are based on the theory of contrast. With the passage of time the wall (nature) is getting better, while the chair (memories) different on each point of view. A series of photos, as a comparison to human nature of strength and weakness of a painful event and preserving memories.
For the additional pieces of the chair clay has been chosen as the main material, representing the creation of new memories and their coexistence and blending with the old ones. The photos have been taken on the real-life place, while the photographic material has been digitally manipulated only for the recreation of the walls and the chair.
From an initial point of view, with the passage of time, the walls get better and are rebuild (here there is a metaphorical meaning where the walls are the burned nature which will get back to its original state gradually, year by year). While the chair, on the other hand, begins to reshape into what it was before the fire, adding new pieces (new memories) to it and thus bringing a rejuvenated life to it. This perspective shows the power of a human, who despite what happened, has the strength to hold onto the positive part of his old memories and over time, strengthen them and keep them alive.
From the second point of view, although walls get better as time passes, the chair gradually gets more destroyed and burned, until it is totally lost, these series of photos represent the weaker aspect of the human nature whereby the bad experience of the fire affects the good memories of the past and instead of allowing these memories to remain alive, with the passage of time erases them completely.
