opening of "Memory Palace" exhibition | Guenther, Sakowska, Szczerbowska, Wójcik | June 13, 2025, 6—9 pm

MEMORY PALACE

Weronika Guenther, Maryna Sakowska,

Julia Szczerbowska, Inga Wójcik

opening: June 13, 2025, 6 –9 pm

exhibition: June 14, 2025 – July 26, 2025

A walk through the chambers of an imaginary Memory Palace is a mnemonic technique known since antiquity. In a journey through the emotional landscape of youth—one that extends beyond simple images of the past—the encountered objects not only evoke memories but also bring forth deeply ambivalent emotions: fascination, awe at beauty, but also disgust and shame. These feelings, rooted in the intense experiences of adolescence, reflect moments of identity formation in a period marked by tensions between self-discovery and the pressure of social norms. The art of exploring these emotions becomes a tool for dialogue between the subject and what is inexpressible or excluded, allowing for a deeper understanding of the process of growing up and its impact on the structure of memory and self-awareness.

In the process of growing up, we confront boundaries and ambiguities. We locate ourselves, separate, and define our place. This experience can evoke fear and disgust, but also sublimation—the transformation of chaos into art. The abject is, above all, ambiguity. It distances us from danger, but does not entirely sever our connection to it. On the contrary—it acknowledges it as something perpetually present. It is a blend of judgment and emotion, of condemnation and longing. The abject is embedded in the duality of the experience of being socialized into the feminine role; it exposes what is repressed, unwanted, hidden. It breaches boundaries.

curator: Marianna Lomza

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Project is co-financed by the City of Warsaw.