The Veil of Memory: Illuminating Care

The Veil of Memory: Illuminating Care is a multi-sensory installation that delves into how care is expressed, remembered, and carried across generations. As a group of students from varied backgrounds, we first interviewed our parents, asking: What object represents care to you—either given or received?

From those conversations, we recreated personal objects — from a well-worn t-shirt to a childhood dish, bent bangles, and a family motto card. Alongside the physical artefacts, we filmed each interview and documented the making process, over which the audio our parents provided in their native languages is played.

The final installation consists of a dimly lit space, where each object is encased in clear acrylic and mounted on the wall. Opposite, a light projector casts beams that are only interrupted when a visitor walks through the room — revealing the object’s shadows in their wake. Through this interaction, care is made visible only through presence. At the far end, the video plays, grounding the exhibition in voice, memory, and craft.

A small zine accompanies the installation, featuring excerpts from the interviews and images of the recreated objects. This project invites reflection: Whose memories do we carry? How is care embedded in the ordinary? And in whose footsteps do we walk?