Victoria Schlienkamp

The project explores the connection between memory, objects, and preservation. Objects can serve as a vessel for memories, being passed on between generations while changing and adjusting to the stories connecting to the family. Passing it down and taking care of it strengthens the bond between the older and younger family members, while new memories keep growing sharing stories and experiences. The value and perception of the object change over time with the growth of new memories.

The object‘s function in this case is a physical tool to retain memories while sparking communication through interaction which in turn, strengthens the memories connected to it. The growing and changing spirals reference the process of transformation. The installation uses mechanics and delicate shapes to create an interactive experience for the audience. Thus, taking the the conversation ‘off the shelf’ and introducing it to a new audience, using interaction to spark conversations creating a new perspective and memories. Focusing on the story of a family heirloom, the installation takes inspiration from a trophy won in 1972 at a horse race which is explained in a short video accompanying it.

How do we preserve?
This question started the exploration of this project. Over time and after many experiments, the result is taking shape through the observation of mould. After observing the growth of mould in three different spaces, the project has been led to an experimental outcome that combines the shapes and growth process of the mould with digital preservation.

Inspired by the randomness in the growing process and from the shapes that it can take, the result is a digital experience that asks the user to take action—by being able to generate new patterns and saving them, emphasising the active role that we play in preservation.

After a long process of controlling and observing the mould, my role in the preservation process offered a new perspective to explore. It highlighted the importance of someone taking action to preserve even something as simple as mould. At the same time, the shape of the mould keeps changing even in a controlled environment and every image captured during the process will show a slightly different version of the constant growth and change. This experiment aims to capture this interaction and allows to capture and preserve change in a brief and fleeting moment.

The imagery is inspired by classic still-life paintings, reinterpreting the age-old motif of decay in a digital context.

Project Boulle was created to be a platform to teach about marquetry: the art of decorative veneer (think 18th century furniture). It’s a love letter to an ancient craft that I hope will teach and inspire. The idea came to life through a shared love of craftsmanship and woodwork. I wanted to share my passion with the world and came up with an idea: preserving the knowledge of an ancient craft in a world full of digital innovation. As the idea came to bloom, I asked cabinetmaker Joseph Blaise to assist in the development.
Having met during our studies in cabinetmaking in Belgium, we both came to love the craft of marquetry and have shared a combined desire to bring the delicate craft back in style. With this initiative, we want to offer new ways of innovation by looking at the old and inspire creatives and non-creatives to explore beyond.