My master dissertation is a journey/research inward. Being in a family scattered all over the world and with two different nationalities creates a unique family situation. A family where the distance isolates one from the other and its original cultures. Living so far apart, the memories of these people are scarce and begin to fade. Not being place-bound as a family, we never got to have a fixed place to mourn when somebody would pass away. Without this focus point, it is too hard to hang on to the thoughts of the departed in daily life. Not being able to hang on to them raises feelings of guilt and ungratefulness.
Through this master dissertation, I realized that we need a fixed resting place. This place would be about bringing flux to moments of stasis. A place where we not only could be together with the departed but also give the feelings of family, 'Saudade, guilt and disconnection a controlled and fixed place in our lives. A place that is not limited by economic burdens, traditions, nor location. To anchor my memories, I constructed a mental place, which we can pull close and let go when it is needed. These moments of stasis are memorial spaces through which I tried to encounter the departed people. To encounter them in the architecture, I needed to embody them into it.
The drawing became my construction site, a world without limit where the train of thought came to a halt. The drawing is the physical aid that bridges the mental and physical worlds and makes the mental tangible. Designing and drawing in this case, is a healing process that has just started. Working on it is a process to keep and conserve the memories and connections with the departed alive. By drawing and constantly switching between large-scale detailed drawings, smaller sketches, and rigorous measuring of my surroundings, I translate my thoughts, emotions, and ideas to something physical. Combining this and paying extra attention to designing physical gestures and thresholds, one can always imagine and recall this place. It allows me to embody the space and implement it back into my mind's landscape.og
Agi