Event 2: Mnemoawari – by Elí Joteva

This past Tuesday, on May 9^th, I attended Elí Joteva’s solo exhibition, titled “Mnemoawari”, at the Broad Arts Center in UCLA. Currently a graduate student in UCLA’s Design | Media Arts department, Joteva is also an inter-media artist and researcher who combines neurophysics and art through the use of imaging tools and biofeedback technologies. In other words, she is interested in phenomena related to brain function and presents art pieces that incorporate bioimaging techniques. The first thing that intrigued me about this solo show was the title: mnemo-, meaning memory in Greek, and -awari, which translates to wanderer in Hindi. Walking into the gallery, I immediately saw a sign that described the purpose of her exhibition. It was a pleasure meeting Joteva at the exhibition, and I enjoyed experiencing the artist’s expression of memory and time!

(Exhibition sign (left picture), and a hanging cryogenic sculpture and VR headset in the background. There were a lot of people at this exhibition!)

Over the course of three days, cryogenic sculptures would slowly melt and reveal their true appearance. Meanwhile, an interactive virtual reality headset and projected 3-D images showed what the final sculptures would look like. To be honest, the multimedia installation was a little challenging to interpret. As I entered the “mnemonic place fields” on the lower floor, I heard a loud and repetitive ticking sound. As the images revolved on the large screens, the sculptures seemed to be made of various materials such as sand, flowers, seeds, and metal. Returning to the main floor, I saw the cryo scultpures hanging from ropes and bowls underneath to catch the dripping water droplets. Thankfully, Elí Joteva was present to explain details of her exhibition.

(On the lower floor, an open space allowed attendees to gaze at the spinning 3-D images of the sculptures).

By using these imaging techniques, Joteva was commenting on how virtual and material memory seem to affect our impression of time. In addition to the cryo sculptures and their final forms, a projected photograph of dream waves provided insight on how humans sometime have déjà vu and remember a future event. Awareness of any memories allows the formation of objects that may not even exist yet. Joteva believes that tapping into the power of memory can help people visualize the world in a new way. This solo exhibition definitely left me thinking about déjà vu, when I feel like I’ve already dreamed about a present situation. Sadly, this gallery also made me remember that I have poor memory overall…

(Group picture!)