"Without water, we die of thirst; without memory, of non-existence." ~ Antoni Kreis
Scent
Scraps of images briefly veil my eyes as I wander along paths in places distant to me in time. Halemba – the town of my childhood. I haven't been here in 40 years. I walk indifferently along these roads that are no longer mine, I look around, and step by step I get closer, touching traces of the past, of what has passed, but still deeply resides in me. The sun, filtering through the now golden leaves, illuminates the shadows of forgetfulness. Yet, with each press of the shutter, I see more clearly. The negative in my camera records moments of the present, and I take these light notes home and "stitch" them into images that dwell somewhere within me. Atlases of thoughts woven from memories, photos, my emotions emerge. These are maps of forgetfulness.
We don't remember days, but single moments. We remember fragments of dreams, scents, sounds. It's fascinating that our brain stores this information without asking for our permission or, conversely, blocks our access to it without considering our opinion. Sometimes, this frightens me. What will happen if my memory denies me my recollections? What if, one day, I can no longer remember current moments? The faces of my loved ones? If time flows backward for me instead of forward? How will I navigate this world then? What will my new world be like? Will anyone be able to recognize and define it, somehow characterize it? Who will I be to myself if I lack memory? Since my mother fell ill with dementia, this fear has constantly accompanied me.
Iwona Germanek
Graduate of Fotoedukacja in Katowice and the Wrocław School of Photography AFA. Member of the Union of Polish Artists Photographers. Currently, an animator of activities at MDK Łaziska Górne, where, on her initiative, the Alternative Photography Workshop was established. She has led workshops at TIF Center in Wrocław (wet collodion) and at the State Higher Vocational School in Racibórz (wet collodion, cyanotype). Participant in many exhibitions, including within the Festival of Photography in historical and alternative techniques.
Vernissage:
13.09.2024, 19:00
Opening hours
Monday-Friday – 10:00-17:00