Remembered Rooms
An artistic ritual in collectively remembering a place
When people abandon a place, it is often because something or someone has been lost. A loved one may be gone, a chapter in life or work has ended, or a familiar space disappears through demolition or violence. Such places hold more than walls and floors: they carry memories, shared histories, and the traces of who we were together.
Remembered Rooms is an artistic, collective ritual created to honour those memories. It invites individuals or communities who have experienced loss to share stories, emotions, and lived experiences connected to a space they have had to leave behind. The aim is not to preserve nostalgia, but to give memory a meaningful and sustainable place in the present.
The ritual
The ritual is designed to be experienced as informal, safe and inclusive. Through conversations and workshops, memories are gathered and translated into sketches for a poetic spatial model. This model is not a literal reconstruction, but an imaginative reflection of the emotional layers connected to the space. The final maquette is photographed in a subdued, dark setting, resulting in an image that acknowledges loss while offering continuity.
The outcome is a photographic work that makes shared memories visible and tangible. It can be carried into a new space as a quiet companion, whether as a large artwork or as smaller prints shared among those involved. Each project is developed with care and tailored to the people, stories, and circumstances at hand, creating a gentle place to return to, now and in the future.
If you feel this ritual may offer you and your relatives comfort and inspiration, feel free to contact me to see if we can work together.
The images on this page come from my portfolio of non-commissioned work to give an impression of possible outcomes. Results from Remembered Rooms are handled as strictly private and will not be published on my website.
FAQ
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For everyone who wishes to honour and preserve collective memories and stories that are embodied in an abandoned place:
Families who have lost a loved one.
Communities watching a valuable building or neighbourhood disappear.
Teams saying goodbye to their businesses.
Although this ritual may offer comfort to participants, it does not pretend to be therapeutic.
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Every story behind an abandoned space is personal, and therefore each edition of Remembered Rooms is customized. The ritual basically consists of:
1 introduction
3 workshops
1 creation of a model
1 creation of a photo file
However, a different plan can be developed for any community.
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Sharing stories and memories and translating them into a spatial model is paramount. For some groups, creating the model together is meaningful, while for others, it's a drawback. I respect both. We may work together to create the model, or I'll create it myself in my studio based on your input.
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The duration from the initial meeting to the unveiling of the result is basically 3 months.
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For the basic ritual: 1 introduction + 3 workshops/meetings + 1 production of the model and 1 photo file, the investment in 2026 is €3,500 excluding VAT.
Prints from the photo file are delivered at cost price for the chosen format, finish, and quantity. A calculation will be provided in advance based on your wishes and budget.
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As an artist-educator, I believe art does not stop being art when it is made with others; it simply shifts from expressing one (my) singular voice to shaping shared meaning. In non-Western art, collectively creating art by rituals has been common for centuries to give meaning to life-changing events. These rituals teach me to not privilege my genius as an artist over collective knowledge.