ANAMNESIS

Maximillian Wölfgang Gallery’s is delighted to introduce its inaugural London space with Anamnesis, a group show comprising artists Anne Colvin, Kirsten Schauser, Izzie Beirne, Imrana Tanveer, and Gabrielle Travis, whose work explores themes of collective memory, nostalgia, and cognisance. 

How does recollection of the past contribute to our intuitive understanding of the present? The present moment emerges from the construction of the past - but who is to say what transpired? To address these questions, the artists present works that demonstrate the constantly changing parameters influencing the human notion of current and contemporary reality. 

Even a prevailingly recognised truth becomes nothing more than a past impression, upon which every new moment and perception is built. Any concept, especially the most unfamiliar, is adopted in association to existing knowledge. Because knowledge is both relative and boundless, every individual will ingest new information differently; build memories differently, depending on their previous knowledge and life experiences. 

The science behind memory building starts with a network of neurones in the brain whose strength comes from their plasticity. This plasticity facilitates their ability to constantly change, reshape, and create new connections. 

As we live any new experience, these neurones respond in a one-off pattern as they consolidate, stabilise, and build connections — or bridges — to the already existing connections. Like the bones of a city, these neurones are truly the architects of anamnesis, continually constructing bridges, associations, and relationships that make up the landscape of our memory as well as lay the groundwork, or template, for interpretation of the present. Because no two people have neither the same template nor the same experiences, so can they never experience an event the same way. 

For this reason, every memory is unique and painted by the colours of circumstance. A person’s memories are an invisible lens through which an exclusive understanding of the now is formed. This snowflake-like effect, which reveals the infinitude of perception, is explored visually through the works of the artists. 

The plurality of voices in the exhibition represents not only a group show, but the manner in which remembrance is preserved in the collective consciousness - a task that is multifarious, varied, and complex. With their practice, Colvin, Schauser, Beirne, Travis, and Tanveer have created a space that is both timeless and eternal, where past memories become intricately intertwined with the present moment. 

The compound nature of these united perspectives weaves a harmonious production that is not only thought provoking, but exponentially more robust; encapsulating an objective picture of reminiscence. Anamnesis seeks to peel back the layers of personal cognition and invites the viewer to adopt the works into their own recollection. 

Text by Camille moreno