Keni Li is a China-born  Photographer, based in Glasgow, now studying for her PhD study at the University of Glasgow. She has received two Master’s degrees in Modern and Contemporary Art: History, Curating and Criticism and Comparative Literature and World Literature in the University of Edinburgh and East China Normal University respectively.  

The showcase is based on the first chapters of my PhD dissertation, which explores multimedia memory writing in three writers’ works and relevant archives. It examines the diverse sensory experiences in shaping contemporary personal and urban memory, focusing on textual spaces in novels, domestic exhibition spaces, and urban landscapes as constructed through cinematic cartography.

Orhan Pamuk’s The Museum of Innocence (2008), the physical museum “The Museum of Innocence” in Istanbul, and Grant Gee’s documentary Innocence of Memories (2015) can be viewed as innovative attempts to reimagine contemporary memory spaces. These three mediums present a shared theme—a fictional romance set between 1975 and 1984—across distinct yet interconnected dimensions: the textual space of the novel, the intimate domestic exhibition space of the museum, and the urban cinematic cartography of the film. 

The novel provides extensive contextual information and a deeply personal emotional record, creating an intangible, virtual space for memory preservation. The physical museum anchors these immaterial memories through a collection of objects and materials, transforming ephemeral recollections into tangible artifacts that trigger remembrance and make memories visible. Meanwhile, the cinematic cartography of the film transcends the static boundaries of memory recording by rendering textual memories into an immersive, dynamic memory space. This cinematic medium strengthens the connection between contemporary urban landscapes and personal recollections, preserving the emotional and non-commercial aspects of the city in the face of modern urban transformation. 

The project come along with an interactive practical exhibition: photobooth, objects, and memory. 

This essay examines these three forms of memory spaces through the following guiding questions. First, how do the three exhibition spaces—the novel, the museum, and the cinematic urban space—shape meaning, influence audience experience, and construct memory narratives through diverse media, objects, and the local urban topography? Second, how do the creators intertwine complex cultural discourses—politics, history, culture, and emotion—with the varied materials presented in these spaces? Third, how do the three spaces intertextualize and complement one another, collectively forming a multi-dimensional and immersive memory exhibition? 

In addition, this essay explores the divergences and tensions between the three spaces in their treatment of the shared theme. It investigates how these differences generate alternative perspectives and interpretations of the exhibition, ultimately contributing to a deeper understanding of the role of cross-media memory spaces in contemporary memory preservation. Furthermore, the essay considers how these cross-media approaches may inspire future methods for constructing immersive memory experiences. 

Showcase: photobooth, objects and memory   

This project was presented as part of the SGSAH 10-Year Research Showcase in 2024. It features an interactive, multimedia exhibition that incorporates photography, text, video, and participatory elements. The showcase highlights my research on the role of diverse media and spatial forms in the preservation and expression of contemporary memory. 

 Poster for the showcase: 

During the showcase, I presented a selection of objects—including candles, robin toys, masks, ceramic statues, and soaps—and invited the audience to interact with them, as well as with any personal objects they brought. Participants were encouraged to reflect on and write brief memories evoked by these items. I also photographed them alongside the objects, capturing the intimate connection between memory and material form.

I received many beautiful and moving memories from participants during the showcase. One participant shared a story inspired by the scent of a bar of soap. He recalled a childhood school trip to a small town known for its soap factory. The soap—called Sunshine Soap—had a distinctive fragrance and texture that immediately transported him back to that experience. The sensory memory of the smell and tactile quality of the soap vividly evoked the past. Another participant told me a story inspired by a candle and a butterfly. The participant explained that in Persian culture, the candle and butterfly together form a metaphor for love: the butterfly is drawn to the flame and circles it endlessly until the candle burns out, symbolising devotion and the fleeting nature of love.

 

The pictures of stories they wrote: