The study of the cultural construction, production and negotiation of memory – collective and individual – has been one of most salient research fields in cultural studies since the early 1990s. Epistemological interest in memory and remembrance has taken various directions as the discipline has developed and diversified. At the core of this project is a specific aspect of memory production; techniques and processes of constructing, negotiating and undoing memory are a ubiquitous part of everyday culture and generally possess a material and/or visual dimension.

We are planning an exhibition on cultural techniques of producing, representing and negotiating processes of remembering and forgetting (to open in January 2014 at the Lokal International). It aims to present and discuss aspects of memory and its processuality and/or materiality in a scholarly but accessible way. The exhibition is aimed at a mixed audience of German and international students and the general public. Possible Topics include, but are not limited to: memory and the body/bodily memory, archival practices, memory and imagery/visual(izing) memory, iconic images of remembrance, memory and/in/of objects, memory and the new (social) media…

We invite submissions from a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds and perspectives – specific knowledge in the field of memory studies is not required. Participants are invited to contribute one piece (consisting of one to four image(s) revolving around one topic) to the exhibition (it is also possible to work together in pairs or small groups). The piece should also include a text investigating in a clear and comprehensible way the ways of (un)inscribing memory in the motif represented and is invited to raise questions for discussion: how is memory being constructed? What is being remembered, memorialized, forgotten? Why and how is it represented, and how does the materiality of the motif connect to aspects of memory? 

The exhibition will be bilingual (English/German) in order to cater to an international audience. The individual contributions consist of posters or a small series of posters (format DIN A1, high image resolution) combining up to four images and an accompanying text of 350-450 words. Assistance with translations and any technical requirements will be offered by the organizing group.

We would be happy to receive your proposal (consisting of a blurb of 50-100 words, sketching your idea for an image/text combination), as well as any questions or suggestions, by June 15th, 2013.


Contact:
exhibit.memorytechniques@gmail.com