A several week long exercise in identifying, categorizing, and measuring happiness.
The Memory Exchange is a scripted experience that tests memory related behavior. It seeks to better understand the challenges in engaging participants in exercises of memory and future visioning. First it tries to expose challenges in asking participants to relate personal memories and envisioning their future. Secondly it tests participant’s potential attachment to memories, real and constructed. Finally it simulates the act of ‘removing’ memories to gauge feelings of discomfort and attachment.
The Memory Exchange is a scripted experience that tests memory related behavior. It seeks to better understand the challenges in engaging participants in exercises of memory and future visioning. First it tries to expose challenges in asking participants to relate personal memories and envisioning their future. Secondly it tests participant’s potential attachment to memories, real and constructed. Finally it simulates the act of ‘removing’ memories to gauge feelings of discomfort and attachment.
CONTEXT
We cherish our memories, at least the pleasant ones, and sometimes even the unpleasant ones. This relationship is complex internally and as we relate to others who may have the same experiences but very different memories of those experiences.
OPPORTUNITY
We can think of memories of the future, helping us guide what experiences we hope to one day have. Once we begin to think of the future this way we can start to imagine the future memories we might want to give to others, creating a sense of responsibility, empathy and of altruism.
RESEARCH
To understand the kinds of interactions I would be triggering I looked at different precedents in art and technology. These include Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree, Post Secret, and asynchronous communications like Twitter.
METHODOLOGY
Use of simple at hand materials were used to test how attached participants would become even with no indicators that their contributions would be treated with care or utilized for a larger effort.
The activity was facilitated directly in some cases with verbal instructions, in others by the hand written rules.
RESULTS
Participants are asked to envision a ‘memory they hope to one day have’. They are asked to write this down and submit them into a nondescript box. After a brief moment they are then asked to open the box and remove a memory at random, excluding their own. Once they have chosen and have read their memory they often ask ‘what now?’ at which time they are responded to with a frank ‘do with it as you will’.
Participants are asked to envision a ‘memory they hope to one day have’. They are asked to write this down and submit them into a nondescript box. After a brief moment they are then asked to open the box and remove a memory at random, excluding their own. Once they have chosen and have read their memory they often ask ‘what now?’ at which time they are responded to with a frank ‘do with it as you will’.
