Scanned Memories

Scanned Memories by Wong Chun

Exploring the Interplay Between Technology, Identity, and Memory

Scanned Memories delves into the intricate relationship between technology, identity, and memory. Through a unique visual process, the artwork uses a scanner to capture digital images displayed on an iPad, creating a visual representation of how modern identity is both preserved and altered by digital and physical influences.

Each scan in Scanned Memories reflects a moment in time, a fragment of memory that is both tangible and ephemeral. The lines and distortions present in the scanned images serve as metaphors for the complexities of human thought and experience. Each image is a fragment of a larger whole, symbolizing how our memories are shaped, fragmented, and reconstructed in the digital age.

The Artistic Process

Capturing Digital Memory: The core of Scanned Memories lies in the use of a scanner to record the shifting digital images displayed on an iPad. This method reflects the fragmented nature of identity in the modern world, where technology mediates our perceptions of self and memory. The digital scans, with their distortions and fragmented lines, represent how memories can be both fleeting and lasting, shaped by technology and human experience.

Metaphors of Memory: The distortions in the images are not merely aesthetic but symbolic. They speak to the disjointed way we recall experiences, each scan a representation of how memory is continuously being reshaped by external influences. The work asks viewers to consider the tension between what is permanent and what is ephemeral in both memory and identity, particularly in an age dominated by technology.

Exhibition Setup

Displaying the Fragmented Self: In the gallery setting, Scanned Memories is presented as a series of framed images, arranged in a grid format. This arrangement invites viewers to see each scan as a unique representation of memory while also recognizing the collective narrative formed by all the images together. The tactile quality of the physical prints juxtaposed with the digital origin of the images reinforces the dialogue between the physical and the digital.

Visual Composition: The artwork’s repetitive and grid-like structure emphasizes the fragmentation and reconstruction of memory. Each scan, though individual, forms part of a greater whole, much like how personal experiences contribute to a broader sense of self. The visual impact of the work lies in its ability to evoke reflection on the nature of memory in the digital age.

This year (2024), Digital Echoes takes this concept further by translating these digital images into physical prints, which fit into the framework of the SCM Cameraless Photography Exhibition 2024. By printing and framing the generated images, the project moves from a digital experience to one that viewers can engage with in a gallery setting, adding new layers of meaning and interaction.

About the Exhibition: “The Unseen Realm”

The Unseen Realm explores the possibilities of photography beyond the camera, challenging the traditional notions of the medium. The exhibition emphasizes experimentation, craftsmanship, and the artistic vision involved in creating works without the use of a camera, broadening the understanding of photography as a medium. Digital Echoes aligns with this theme by using machine learning to generate images, demonstrating how photography can evolve beyond its conventional tools.

• Exhibition Dates: August 26 – October 5, 2024

• Venue: Run Run Shaw Creative Media Center, City University of Hong Kong

• Opening Hours: 12:00 – 18:00 daily

• Admission: Free