Museum and Memory

A Series of Essays
Individual versus Collective memory in Museum
There are many Philosophical and
Scientific studies into types of memory,
how we activate Memory and why we
need to remember the past. Scien-
tific and Philosophical ways in viewing
memory are huge topics of study but
the link between them is vague. We un-
derstand how we store memories but do
not understand how we choose memo-
ries to store. I will explain both studies
in the following text and conclude with
my reasoning.
Memory is a psychological and physical
process. It is the process of the neurons
in your brain to store and recompose
Memory and later re-create it. Remem-
bering is just as important as Forget-
ting. When we forget we create a void
that we wish to fill. Memory is often
thought of being the need for us to find
our belonging or to find out what that
void is. When we forget a Memory we
search to find out what we are missing.
It is considered that Memory is never
lost it is either the inability to retrieve
the information or the deterioration of
the information. (Out of Memory Web-
site, Think quest). During Processes of
storing Memory bit may get lost, Also if
it is a long-term Memory our brains may
require the space for a newer Memory.
Just as when you wake up you may not
remember yourself dreaming as it is
short-term Memory and is lost. When you
think harder or have déjà vu you recre-
ate the dream. Memory retrieval is de-
pendant on Vivid Senses, state of mind
and time. What you eat, stress, medica-
tion and Diet all effect your memory.
There is a scientific explanation into the
way our brain functions storing sight,
smell, taste, touch and sound as Memo-

ry. Whether we see something, hear it or
smell it will obviously influence what we
recall, since in one sense our memories
are records of precepts. (Baddeley 1997,
p9 Perceiving and Remembering) All long
term memory is stored in the same place
so that when you remember a smell you
often remember the whole scene at
which you smelt it.
It is common knowledge that memories
are stored as a code storing the meaning
of events, pictures and communications
close to where the original perception
is processed. Therefore remembering
them is a complication of encoding.
Memory is accomplished by compil-
ing fragments of information held and
reconstructing them to create an event.
Referencing back to the previous pages
Memory is defined as a mental capacity
1
that aids the retaining and recalling of
events, impressions and experiences.
So what makes us remember specific
events and what makes us recall these
events? Temporal Cues or contextual
information related to the event signal
for this Memory to be re-compiled.
Sight, Sounds, Smells, Touch and Visual
representation all produce Cues. They
‘jog’ your memory and you remember
events or similar emotions that are re-
lated. For example, A war museum may
Cue Individual Memory is you were there
or It may remind you of your Grandpar-
ents that experienced it. These Cues
relate to many other Personal activities
so these should be handled with cau-
tion. Museums use Artwork, Displays,
artefacts and Architecture to recreate
events and so produce a cue for our
minds to compile a memory.
I will explain philosophical approach to
Memory by using a discussion of Endel
Tulving’s, a Neuroscientist from Canada,
Theories of Memory and another view
on Memory from a series of essays in the
book ‘Remembering Our Past: Studies
in Autobiographical Memory edited by
David.C.Rubin’.
In 1983 Tulving wrote:
‘Remembering past events is a univer-
sally familiar experience. It is also a
uniquely human one. As far as we know,
members of no other species possess
quite the same ability to experience
again now in a different situation and
perhaps in a different form, happenings
from the past, and know that the experi-
ence refers to an event that occurred in
another time and in another place.’
 1 2
(Collins 1993, ‘Explaining the Emer-
gence of Autobiographical Memory in
Early Childhood’. Nelson, Katherine.
Quoting Tulving,E 1983 pg356)
We are like no other Species so it is
possible to remember others? Memory
often occurs when we feel familiar with
an event, person or place. If Dinosaurs
pre-existed us when is it impossible to
feel familiar? Tulving suggests that we
have the ability to remember a place
or situation in other forms and places.
Memories are a familiarity to an event.
Our brain then compiles a situation
that is similar with emotions so we feel
familiar. Museums are a vital part of
this suggestion in keeping History alive.
History is documented but never relived
so Museums have to recreate the event
successfully enough so that younger
generations realise the importance of
remembrance.
Tulving proposed four types of Memory:
Episodic, Semantic, procedural and per-
ceptual representation. (Collins 1993,
‘recognising and remembering’ Gardiner
and Java, p165 ). Episodic memory is
based upon a specific experience from
the past situated at a definite place in
time and space. Semantic Memory is
largely based on general knowledge and
personal memories passed on by others.
Procedural Memory is the unconscious
Memory, not particularly emotion more
undertaking tasks without having to
remember them, such as riding a bike.
Perceptual Memory is our Individual
response of events, how we perceived
them.
Tulving explained these types through

the ‘know’ and ‘remember’ responses.
A ‘remember’ response is when you are
heavily dependent on semantic and con-
ceptual processing. When one has heard
oral communication on events and form
a relative collective memory of that
such event. A ‘know’ response is depend-
ent on the data or perceptual process-
ing. When one has primary knowledge of
an event with the absence of conscious
recollection this forms their individual
or personal memory. These Individual
Memories are therefore passed onto oth-
ers to form their collective memory.
The Collective Memory is passed on by
representational forms: Architectural,
Media, Literature etc. It is passed on
by family, social groups, government to
name a few. For example, The United
States Jewish Holocaust Memorial Mu-
seum by James Ingo Freed in the USA
would represent that nation’s view on
the Holocaust. His Agenda is strong and
he states:
“There are no literal references to
particular places or occurrences from
the historic event. Instead, the architec-
tural form is open-ended so the Museum
becomes a resonator of memory.” (Art
and Architecture, USHMM.org)
Visitors to that building who were not
present at the time of the Holocaust
would create a collective memory of the
events that had occurred. The Nation is
not interested in proposing the wrong
cultural and political memory so the
architecture will differ in other nations.
Our Memory becomes more distorted
through every reproduction of it. As soon
as the event is dramatized it begins to
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lose its meaning. If an event loses its
meaning then it won’t be worth re-
membering. It is vital that we keep the
meaning through our representation of
events. Individual Memory is the most
important factor in the representa-
tion. This is Primary knowledge of the
event and so with the right setting and
artefacts the experience can be repro-
duced. It has only been distorted by the
Individual not by reproduction.
The second theory I will discuss is that
approached in ‘Remembering Our Past’.
The collection of essays is largely based
upon Autobiographical Memory. This
is usually what we mean by the term
Memory is everyday terms. We are more
likely to remember an emotion-arousing
event than a neutral, everyday event in
the long term. ( Rubin 1996 p219 ‘Emo-
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 1 2
tions in Autobiographical memories’
Christianson, S.A and Safer, M.A) These
memories are more vivid when re-
called. Usually Individuals have a more
intense reaction to a negative experi-
ence to a positive one. The recalling of
these events may change over time. An
event may start of being negative but
change into a positive event over time
and so changing the way the memory
is recalled. An everyday memory could
turn into something extremely pleas-
ant or unpleasant over-time therefore
becomes easier remember. Memory is
often thought of as being only distin-
guishable by the time or part of life it
occurred. Perhaps Memory is stored in
our brains as a time and place.
Autobiographical memory as the name
suggests is based upon an individual’s
response to an event and the recalling
it when needed. Often when recalled
verbally this memory can become dis-
torted and more like a narrative. When
imagery, objects and alike is linked with
the event the Autobiographical memory
becomes more accurate, thoughtful and
believable.
The importance of Memory and Mu-
seum is great. So great infact that if it
is forgotten or not considered then the
effects would be massive. An Architect
needs to consider Individuals emotions
and previous history into his or her
agenda. Represented both clearing in
the exhibition and the space created.
You can notice a huge different into
schemes that have lacked either. If a
museum produces a bad scheme then it
would not do the event justice therefore
not keeping actual history alive.

I believe that Individual Memory is by
far the most important. If individu-
als did not share their memories then
would that Memory still exist? Individual
Memory is the passing on of informa-
tion and knowledge that is vital in the
existence of Human Beings. This is what
produces Emotions, Familiarity and
compassion in our race. It is a percep-
tion of the past and it is important to
understand what has been before us
so we may learn. Collective Memory is
vital in passing on this information to
other generations that preceded us.
Is it possible for Collective Memory to
recreate an atmosphere or is this just an
interpretation of the previous events?
A friend of mind believes that if they
were not at the event to experience it
then all the information passed on would
3
be an interpretation or representation
of that event. I agree, however surely
there is some familiarity attached to the
event that causes some sort of emotion
reaction to what you see. Even though
I think that Individual Memory is of the
most importance I think that It is vital
that Collective Memory is portrayed
correctly so to preserve the collected
Individual Memory. It is a shame to think
that Generations that have past may
have become lost. When World War 2
Veterans become extinct will we forget
about the effects of the war? Our spe-
cies is responsible for passing on vital
memories to keep the History alive.
Architects must include not just their
own collective or Individual Memory but
a cultural and Political Memory to recre-
ate the importance of an Event.