
A movement that leads me back to you
This project is dedicated to my friends, family and people who are special to me in one way or another. I want something to remember them by, so I set out to collect personal mementos from them. But instead of an object, I ask them for a movement. It does not matter if it is a single movement or a long sequence, an everyday movement or an intricate invention. What matters is that it is a gift that connects both of us and bears witness to our relationship.
The idea is to inscribe these movement ‘mementos’ into my body, by learning them physically. As there is no video or photographs of these movements, I have to perform them every now and then, and in so doing, I also think of the persons. Inscribing these movements into my body also allows me to recall the persons by simply performing the movements, whenever I need to feel them close to me again. Having neither tangible form nor physical weight, the movement mementos allow me to carry them with me wherever I go. In a way, my body becomes a living museum that houses all these personal mementos. The collection is private and accessible only through me. Over time, it is possible that some of the movements eventually fuse with my own, becoming one with me.
As these movement ‘mementos’ have no tangible records, they exist only as long as one of us is alive. Once we both die, they will also disappear forever. The beauty of these mementos lies in their ephemeralness and mortality, a reminder of the brevity and precariousness of life. They also make me see the wonder in my encounters with these people, no-matter how brief.