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Integration of Digital Memories Within Hand Made Objects
Integration of Digital Memories Within Hand Made Objects
Abstract
In the age of ‘everywhere’, any object can become a site “for the
sensing and processing of information” (Greenfield). Every object can have a
memory store that, shadow-like remains with the object through life. There is
the potential for objects to gather data in an arbitrary, structured or reactive
way as shown through the development of Microsoft’s SenseCam. In this
way objects can hold an accumulation of data, which could be classed as the
object’s memories. While these can establish a memory of a place or the
relationship of an object to an environment they can also act as a memory
trigger for people. Digital stores can also hold imposed memories, dictated by
an external source. Some objects, particularly jewellery and handcrafted
artefacts are predisposed to be vessels for memories, in part because of their
relationship to significant life events and because of what they represent in
people’s lives and relationships but also due to the very nature of being hand
made. Over time, as heirlooms, these objects often become repositories for
family memories. When digital memory storage is applied to objects that
have not traditionally had this potential the intrinsic nature of the object or
may change. This paper aims to discuss the relationship of memory to
traditional craft objects and those possessing a digital dimension. Exploration
will encompass the nature of stored memories and their permanence or
transience in relation to Paul Virilio’s notions of chronoscopic time and the
mediation of memory with respect to data retrieval, particularly in response
to Weisers’ assertion that “the most profound technologies are those that
disappear.” Issues of ownership and the nature of memories, notably the
creation and imposition of memories will also form part of the discussion.
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Notes
1
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2
M.Weiser, ‘The Computer for the 21st Century’ Pervasive Computing, Jan-
March 2002 p.1. Accessed 31/01/10
http://www.cim.mcgill.ca/~jer/courses/hci/ref/weiser_reprint.pdf
3
N.Spiller . ‘Vacillating Objects’ Cyber_Reader Critical writings for the
digital era. Phaidon, London 2002, p.306
4
T. Polhemus. ‘The Anthropolgy of Adornment’. Jerwood Applied Arts
Prize, Crafts Council, 2007, p. 26
5
M. Rana. An Individual and Collective Journey, 2007. Sir John Cass
Department of Art, Media & Design, RAE 2008. Accessed 02/02/10
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/jcamd/research/rae-2008/mah-
rana/portfolio_outcome04.cfm
6
L. den Besten. Reading jewellery. Comments on narrative jewellery,
Norway, 2006. Accessed 02/02/10
http://www.klimt02.net/forum/index.php?item_id=4515
7
L.Cheung. 2006 Koru2 International Contemporary Jewellery
Symposium, Lappeenranta, Koru2. Accessed 02/02/10
http://www.klimt02.net/forum/index.php?item_id=5205
8
D,Harvey. The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of
Cultural Change. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1990, p. 240-241
9
P, Virilio The Information Bomb. Verso. London 2005 p. 116-119
10
M. McLuhan. Understanding Media: the extensions of Man. Cambridge,
MA. The MIT Press 1999 p.46
8 Integration of Digital Memories Within Hand-Made Objects
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Bibliography
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