Through the course of this series, individuals will recollect through the use of an object, place, or sound, for moments in their history that was significant. With the outcome of producing an immersive vocal landscape of their story.
Does memory have a direct link to self-identification? This is a question that I ask myself every time that I return to the place I grew up: Brooklyn. The images that you see, or moments and news heard about that place – well, I‘ve lived it, but representation in the media is nearly always exaggerated. I’ve recently been looking at the changing landscape of Brooklyn and considering the feeling of alienation that I experience whenever I return. I remember the rich sense of community, the loyalty within a neighbourhood, a sense of belonging to something more. Now, as I walk through the places I grew up, all I see are the differences, there isn’t a flavour in the air anymore. The shops and stores that I’d walk into as a child are closed, they are trendy cafes and wine bars now. Every accent I hear is from someone not originally from Brooklyn.
Fragments, then, are all I have left. From objects I pick up, or from exaggerated movies that directly link me to the childhood I remember. But in this case, who I identify myself as now as opposed to those fragmented memories – makes me wonder: have I exaggerated the environment of my youth? Maybe those memories of where I came from, and those thoughts of what it made me, are nothing more than an exaggerated narrative constructed by my mind.
Olivandro Caballero
Olivandro Caballero is a Peruvian/American artist that lives and works in London. His work and interests lie in the exploration of language as social coding and its integration into human culture and consciousness. This is further extended by his bilingual upbringing between Spanish and English and the natural confliction brought on by the translation process.
Image: Olivandro Caballero, Untitled (2014)
CuratingtheContemporary (CtC) 