Event 2

In the Mnemoawari exhibition by E. Joteva, the artist divides the exhibition into three parts- the past, the present and the future and each part using a different representation of cryo sculptures. The sculptures will melt gradually over 3 days of the exhibition, conveying the process that any physical items will disappear eventually and all we have at the end is the memory and immaterial impressions. 

One of the images
The past is represented with three image of the cryo sculptures when they were still just made before melting starts. When I first entered the exhibition, I was confused by the images. There were just three huge image of ice ball spinning with some dripping sound(slightly annoying as well). The ice balls are gives mixed feelings. The leaves and flowers gives pattern and colors to the sculpture, making some pleasant to view while one slightly irritating. Standing in the middle of the images, my mind was blank.
The other two

Me experiencing the scupture
Then I moved on the next part of the exhibition, The Present. In the room of Present, there are the same three cryo sculpture, melting into water and dropping into sand. Then the whole idea of memory suddenly is clear to me. In the past, the three cryo sculptures may be beautiful and embellished with decorations. As time passes, however, the beauty and scariness of the physical things will fade away. The water and leaves and flower will re-join the earth, leaving nothing physical.
 
Cryo Sculpture over sand

The other two sculptures

At the last portion of the exhibition where all the sculpture supposed to be gone, all we have is the representation of the dream-wave in our mind. This completes the cycle of all material things in the world.


With E. Joteva in the Brain-wave
The use of VR is an unexpected novelty. Besides in the room of the Present, there’s also a VR goggles that zooms into one of the ice sculptures. Through the VR goggles, I can have a better view of that cryo sculpture, enhancing my impression with the aid of technology. However, thinking back on the VR imagery, I am already having a different feeling towards the exhibition. I think this part is to illustrate that even though technology has improved to preserve many physical things, we will lose the feeling when we first saw them, leaving only the “dreams-waves” in our mind and an empty shell of that object in the world.

Another interesting finding I had was the dripping sound. The dripping sound is apparently live from a microphone attached to one of the cryo sculptures. The sound of melting cryo sculpture is can be heard throughout the exhibition. Probably, it is conveying the idea of time elapsing. At the same time, I think it also illustrates the fact that sound memory last longer than visual memory.

Overall, through the three melting cryo sculpture, the artist E. Joteva illustrated to us a fresh way to look at the surrounding world. Things come and go in your life, nothing will last forever. If you are blessed enough to have something or someone to walk a part of journey of life with you, be grateful; and if you don’t, be respectful.


Reference:

Psychology Glossary, "Echoic Memory Define".  https://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.php?term=Echoic%2520Memory Accessed May 13 2017




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