“If immediate memory is like absolute judgment, then it should follow that the invariant feature in the span of immediate memory is also the amount of information that an observer can retain.”*
Meem Gallery presents The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two, a new group exhibition showcasing the work of three Emirates based artists; Sara Al Haddad, Asma Khoory and Salama Nasib.
Taking its title from a landmark 1956 paper by George A. Miller, which discusses the mechanics of short-term memory and its storage, this three-artist exhibition considers the varying nuances of personal memory.
Like memories themselves, Sara Al Haddad’s work, as you try to forget me, develops and changes over the passing of time. Included in Rock, Paper, Scissors: Positions in Play at the UAE Pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale, this mercurial work, created using grey/black thick yarn, crocheted into a weave loop, takes on a different meaning and shape depending on its location.
Recollection, a large-scale canvas work by Asma Khoory created from dismantled tea filter papers, acts like a map of time, with each square representing a passing moment. A patchwork landscape of greys, browns and off-white hues enhanced by dust and tea, mimic false age and explores aspects of deception that can be found in memory. A smaller, sculptural work created using the same method, takes the form of a solemn figure resting on a pedestal, seemingly exhausted with the passing of time.
Salama Nasib’s ethereal; Shadow series is a deeply personal and self-conscious body of work that focuses on autobiographical memories. Creating seven intimate, detailed images, which give a tangible sense of what is there, and what is not, the artist considers how memories alter and fade over time. Using photolithography and blind embossing techniques, Nasib imbues the work with a thoughtful, meditative quality, giving the viewer time and space to consider the memories depicted.
*The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two; Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information by George A Miller, published 1956 in Psychological Review.