Fragmented Memories

|   2023   |  collage (monotypes)   |

Part of the project ‘Alternative Memory for Parisian Bonlieuse’

Residency at Cité internationale des arts.

The projects take the architecture of Parisian suburbs as a starting point and examine its place in the memory of citizens, as well as how its image is created by the media.

In recent months we have heard a lot about Bonlieuse, but rarely because of its often extraordinary architecture, mainly because of the riots and burnings. The architecture becomes just a drop off for these events, and these events define the way we look at the suburbs: as one big conglomeration of anonymous blocks.

But reality is different, has more nuances. There are many extraordinary projects, each with its own identity. Work of a.o. Renée Gailhoustet and Ricardo Bofill, became an inspiration for the series of monotypes, in which fragments of the memories of apartment buildings are used to create an alternative memory of the suburbs.

At the same time, authorities often decide to destroy problematic buildings instead of renovating them. With this destruction, part of the residents’ memory is destroyed.

Is it failure of architecture? Or is it a failure of policy makers who did not put enough care when choosing good materials, and as result to maintenance of the buildings in a good shape.

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