La Maison

EDITION

2023, Special mention

school

WDKA - Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Links

vincent-zanni.com
@vincentzanni

“La Maison” (The House). This installation allows me to explore my deep connection to my family’s legacy and the profound significance of the family house. Through this project, I aim to preserve the memories associated with the house and convey the fear of being forgotten. Following my grandmother’s passing, I felt an overwhelming need to safeguard my family’s legacy. I couldn’t bear the thought of all the cherished images being discarded and forgotten. It became my personal duty to save them. However, I soon realized that the significance extended beyond the photographs alone. The family house, which had both happy and sad memories embedded within its walls, held immense sentimental value for me. Unfortunately, with my grandmother’s passing, the house became destined for destruction. None of my family members wished to live in it, leaving us with the difficult decision of demolishing it. The impending destruction of the house symbolized the end of an era, raising concerns about erasing the memories associated with it. It evoked a profound fear within me, the fear of death and being forgotten. In the face of demolishing the house, I felt as though everything—stories, people, and history—would be erased. These fears compelled me to preserve whatever fragments I could salvage from the house: sounds, pictures, and videos. By creating my own archive, I aimed to safeguard the memories, particularly those associated with the house that held such significance to me. The essence of these emotions is encapsulated within the installation itself. Images of the house will be delicately placed in four tanks filled with water, overtime the images will fade away, so too will the memories associated with them. Accompanying this visual representation, a soundscape created from recordings of the house will emphasize the emotional experience. “La Maison” photographic installation serves as an emotional journey, delving into the fear of being forgotten and the importance of preserving memories. By exploring the connection between the family house and personal legacy, this project embraces the profound impact of places, sounds, and images on our recollections. Through this poignant installation, I strive to convey the essence of memory preservation and encourage viewers to reflect upon their own experiences of attachment, loss, and remembrance.