Maud Brocken

Moving Memories

an exploration of the relationship between memory and space

Imagine: you're standing with a moving box in your hand. Ready to pack. You take one last good look around. You capture the space for the last time. You place this space in your memory for the very last time. Before you know it, you're there: in your new home. With that space only in your memory—only a memory of the space there in your old house. That space is a part of you and has played a role in shaping who you are today.

I love to think of this space. It felt special; I loved being there. I close my eyes, and for a moment, I'm back there. The floor is soft under my bare feet, and in the corner of my eye, I see a flicker of light. Next to me, I feel the presence of the furniture, and the room warms. This space, the place I can no longer return to, remains like an imprint in my memory.

I want to capture this memory of that space and copy it from my memory, transposing it directly into reality. This way, everyone can experience the splendor of that space, the space as I experienced it then. But above all, so I don't have to be afraid, don't have to fear losing this space. Not only so I can carry my own memory with me forever, but also so that it can be experienced by others. This creates a new space for recognition, reflection, and dialogue.