Collected Memory: Martin Asbæk Gallery

About Collected Memory

Collected Memory is a network of sculptural, participatory installations created by Mille Kalsmose. This project aims to gather and share our innermost thoughts, feelings, experiences, hopes, and desires, exploring what it truly means to be human.

Collected Memory unites people through shared aspirations and collaborative authenticity, making abstract concepts of unity tangible. Participants engage not only with the artwork but also with each other, fostering a global sense of community.

The project reminds us that, despite our diverse backgrounds, we share common experiences and emotions. It demonstrates the power of art to unite and inspire meaningful connections.

In a world often divided, Collected Memory celebrates our shared humanity and encourages us to contribute to a collective narrative of resilience. Through this installation, Kalsmose invites us to shape a shared future, one experience at a time.

An Interactive Artwork

The artwork features a distinctive metal structure that serves as both a physical and digital archive. It houses a tangible paper archive alongside a digital databank, where contributors can document their personal reflections. Participants are encouraged to add their stories and insights, creating a living archive that captures the diversity and interconnectedness of human experiences.

Each piece created in the Collected Memory series is unique. Each paper is hand-coloured, meticulously folded and inserted into the piece. In addition, each paper contains a personal thought, hope, dream or wish that connects to a common bond. Thus, no two works are alike. 

Since its debut at the UN Headquarters in New York in 2020, Collected Memory has traveled to museums and cultural destinations worldwide. At each location, the installation gathers new contributions, continually expanding its archive of human experiences. The artwork makes visible the invisible threads that bind us together, transforming abstract concepts of unity and shared purpose into tangible expressions of collaborative effort. This global journey underscores the project's mission to connect people across cultures and backgrounds through their shared humanity.

For more info about Collected Memory visit collectedmemory.world

For inquiry contact Martin Asbæk Gallery: liselotte@martinasbaek.com