"Memory Palace"

One could describe the Memory Palace exhibition at the V&A to be overwhelming since it has to do with a psychological exploration of the human mind. The works were created by various graphic designers, typographers and illustrators who got inspired by a series of fictional novels by Hari Kunzru. What I found unique about this exhibition was that the story leads you through the gallery space and therefore the viewers can feel more involved and more excited about what is coming next. The thing that intrigued me the most was a quote which said "Its hard to be an individual, to be conscious and alive inside the prison walls of your skull". The narrator of the novel uses his prison cell as his "Memory Palace" however, from the quote we can understand that its hard to keep control of your memories in a small place such as a cell or your skull. As he says further on, "It was like pushing the walls outwards with my hands" and this mimics perfectly the idea of an overflow of memories which you cannot restrict in a small space. In addition, the theme of memory and the idea that without it the world is doomed,is something that everyone can relate to and I believe that this is what makes this exhibition so effective. Personally I really enjoyed this exhibition, even though at some points I found it difficult to follow due to the use of language. However, in general, I enjoyed it a lot because it was not the typical exhibition one would expect to see. The fact that it was based on a series of fictional novels allowed me to create my own opinions towards the theme of memory. Towards the end of the exhibition, we were allowed to create our own memories, which were then projected on a screen. I though this was a good idea since people can feel more involved and become a part of the exhibition as a whole.