Matthias Hollwich recently lectured at the NZZ Conference in Switzerland, where he spoke about the intersection of architecture, memory, and place-making. He recalls a time a couple of years ago, when the firm won the Young Architects Program by the Museum of Modern Art PS1 in New York with their design Wendy. Now, that installation is gone.
Matthias visited MoMA PS1 a few months ago and ran into a couple of people in the empty courtyard where Wendy once stood. They asked, “Hey, aren’t you Matthias? And by the way, where is Wendy?” Matthias realized that he didn’t just create an installation about architecture, he created an incredible long term memory. Which made him realize that everything in life is actually a memory, except for the present moment.
Matthias analyzes his personal experiences and encourages you to think about the elements that are fundamentally important to you, that help shape your own memories.
After the novelty of connectivity wears off and society becomes frustrated with the limits and challenges of our online presence, the pendulum will swing back and novel, real experiences will become more important than ever. No longer will value be associated with digital traces without meaningful memory, but to these places that are not just Instagrammed, but remembered for a lifetime.
