FORGETMENOT IS A CONCEPTUAL AND PARTICIPATORY ART PROJECT DEVELOPED AS AN EMOTIONAL AND AESTHETIC RESPONSE TO THEMES SURROUNDING MEMORY, DEMENTIA, AND THE OFTEN OVERLOOKED MOMENTS OF REMINISCENCE IN DAILY LIFE.

THIS PROJECT WAS DEEPLY PERSONAL AND STEMMED FROM AN ONGOING EXISTENTIAL CONTEMPLATION ABOUT MEMORY—ITS FRAGILITY, ITS POWER, AND ITS ROLE IN SHAPING WHO WE ARE. HAVING EXPERIENCED ILLNESS CLOSELY IN MY OWN LIFE, THE CONCEPT OF MEMORY HAS BECOME NOT JUST A SUBJECT OF INSPIRATION, BUT A CONTINUOUS INFLUENCE IN MY ARTISTIC PROCESS AND EMOTIONAL WORLD.

THE WORK WAS PROPOSED AND EXHIBITED AT FLINDERS MEDICAL CENTRE, AS I BELIEVED THE HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT—WITH ITS EMOTIONAL WEIGHT AND PROXIMITY TO ILLNESS—WOULD OFFER A PARTICULARLY RESONANT CONTEXT. THE INTENDED AUDIENCE, INCLUDING PATIENTS, STAFF, AND VISITORS, WOULD POTENTIALLY FIND A UNIQUE CONNECTION TO THE PROJECT’S THEME. I ENVISIONED THE EXHIBITION AS A QUIET INVITATION FOR REFLECTION—A GENTLE MOMENT AMIDST THE CLINICAL SETTING THAT OFFERS SPACE TO REMEMBER AND FEEL.

🔹 THIS VERSION OF FORGETMENOT IS A DEVELOPMENT AND ADAPTATION OF AN EARLIER EXHIBITION. ONE OF THE CENTRAL PIECES IN THE INSTALLATION IS CREATED USING FABRIC FROM THE PREVIOUS ITERATION—A TEXTILE INFUSED WITH HANDWRITTEN MEMORIES CONTRIBUTED BY PAST PARTICIPANTS. BY INTEGRATING THIS TANGIBLE, MEMORY-RICH MATERIAL INTO THE NEW WORK, THE PIECE BRIDGES PAST AND PRESENT, ALLOWING OLD MEMORIES TO LIVE ON AND INTERACT WITH NEW ONES. THIS ACT OF CONTINUATION DEEPENS THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNAL MEMORY AND HONORS THE EVOLVING NATURE OF REMEMBRANCE.

THE INSTALLATION COMBINES VISUAL ELEMENTS WITH INTERACTIVE COMPONENTS THAT ENCOURAGE PARTICIPANTS TO RECALL AND WRITE DOWN A MEMORY MEANINGFUL TO THEM. THIS ACT OF REMEMBERING BECOMES MORE THAN JUST PERSONAL REFLECTION; IT CREATES A COMMUNAL TAPESTRY OF SHARED EXPERIENCES. IN WRITING, VISITORS ENGAGE WITH MORE THAN A SINGLE MEMORY—THEY TAP INTO A DEEPER AWARENESS OF HOW MEMORIES SHAPE IDENTITY AND EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE.

THE EXPERIENCE IS BOTH INTROSPECTIVE AND CONNECTIVE. IT SEEKS TO REMIND US THAT IN THE RUSH OF EVERYDAY LIFE, WE OFTEN FORGET TO PAUSE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE SMALL MOMENTS THAT MAKE LIFE MEANINGFUL. FORGETMENOT BECOMES A SPACE TO STOP, FEEL, THINK, AND REMINISCE—NOT JUST ABOUT THE PAST, BUT ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL THREADS THAT BIND US TO OURSELVES AND TO OTHERS.

WHILE CONCEPTUAL IN NATURE, THE PROJECT IS GROUNDED IN ITS EMOTIONAL ACCESSIBILITY. BY INTEGRATING INTERACTION WITH AESTHETIC EXPERIENCE, FORGETMENOT AIMS TO OFFER A FORM OF QUIET HEALING, MINDFULNESS, AND PRESENCE—ESPECIALLY IN A SETTING WHERE SUCH MOMENTS ARE DEEPLY NEEDED.



ABOUT 50 MINION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD LIVE WITH DEMENTIA AND THERE ARE ABOUT 10 MILLION NEW DIAGNOSES A YEAR.

I USE TO VISIT LILLY A COUPLE OF TIME A MONTHS, SHE’D MAKE ME A COFFEE AND WE’D CHAT AND PLAY ONE OF HER FAVOURITE CARD GAMES. WE’D MAKE UP OUR OWN RULES AS LILLY FORGETS HOW TO PLAY AS THE GAME GOES ON.
LILLY WOULD ASK ME, “DO YOUR PARENTS LIVE DENMARK” AND I WOULD ANSWER “ YES, MY WHOLE FAMILY STILL LIVES THERE” AND LILLY WOULD RESPOND “AWWWW YOU MUST MISS THEM SO MUCH” AND I WOULD SAY “YES I DO, BUT WE CHAT ON THE PHONE A FEW TIMES A WEEK, WHICH HELPS”.
LILLY AND I CHAT ABOUT OUR COMMON DANISH HERITAGE, ABOUT OUR FAMILIES AND FOOD AND THEN LILLY WOULD ASK ME “DO YOUR PARENTS LIVE DENMARK” AND I WOULD ANSWER “ YES, MY WHOLE FAMILY STILL LIVES THERE” AND LILLY WOULD RESPOND “AWWWW YOU MUST MISS THEM SO MUCH” AND I WOULD SAY “ YES I DO, BUT WE CHAT ON THE PHONE A FEW TIME A WEEK, WHICH HELPS”.
I DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT LILLY, MANY OF HER MEMORIES IS HARD FOR HER TO RECALL EVEN THOUGH SHE’D ALWAYS TRY AND THEN LILLY WOULD ASKE ME “DO YOUR PARENTS LIVE DENMARK” AND I WOULD ANSWER “ YES, MY WHOLE FAMILY STILL LIVES THERE” AND LILLY WOULD RESPOND “AWWWW YOU MUST MISS THEM SO MUCH” AND I WOULD SAY “ YES I DO, BUT WE CHAT ON THE PHONE A FEW TIME A WEEK, WHICH HELPS”.
LILLY HAS HER WALL DECORATED WITH MANY PICTURES OF HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS. I NOW AND AGAIN I POINT AND ASK WHO’S ON THE PICTURES AND SHE WOULD TELL ME, SOMETIMES WITH A LITTLE MOMENT TO RECALL, AND THEN SHE WOULD ASK ME “DO YOUR PARENTS LIVE DENMARK” AND I WOULD ANSWER “ YES, MY WHOLE FAMILY STILL LIVES THERE” AND LILLY WOULD RESPOND “AWWWW YOU MUST MISS THEM SO MUCH” AND I WOULD SAY “ YES I DO, BUT WE CHAT ON THE PHONE A FEW TIME A WEEK, WHICH HELPS”. LAST TIME I VISITED LILLY SHE SAID “ DON’T FORGET TO COME VISIT ME AGAIN”, BUT EVERY TIME I LEAVE HER ROOM, I AM THINKING TO MYSELF “DON’T FORGET ME”.