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Produced at the American Academy in Rome in January and February 2011, Memory Palace is a book object that documents three desire lines — structural guides that resonate and conjure meaning. They demonstrate three ways to explore Rome:The rioni neighborhood lines of 1744 (boundaries)The 13 bridges crossing the Tevere river, a geographical line (a cut)The scavi or excavations below Rome, i.e., the story of Saint Peter’s bones (place-based narratives)Each desire line presents a tension — the crazy friction when time, geography and story rub up against each other.But the book is also a container for memories (my past, Rome’s) — a non-space to store objects, associations and meaning. An imaginary structure to contain the artifacts: desire lines, relics and maps. It’s like a reliquary, housing both the remains of lost memory (clues to past experiences) as well as new material.As a photographic investigation, Memory Palace asks if the image can evoke real meaning, or if this is an impossible task. Like a relic — a holy fragment that stands for the whole (and retains all of its power) — can a single pixel open up new dimensions for exploring the image? What kind of faith is required to investigate the photograph?http://soulellis.com/projects/memory-palace/
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Memory palacePaul Soulellis
Memory palace A Roman reliquary
When using the memory palace, one needs only to remember the symbols, after which the encoded information becomes unlocked like the chirograph which connects to its counterpart. “Memory Palace — A Trace Study.” Erin Mizrahi.
Ponti
MargheritaCavourUmberto ISant’AngeloEmanuele IIPrincipeMazziniSistoCestioGaribaldiFabricioPalatinoSublicio
Desire line 1
Rioni
I MonteII TreviIII ColonnaIV CampomarzioV PonteVI RegolaVII ParioneVIII S. EustachioIX PignaX CampitelliXI S. AngeloXII RipaXIII TrastevereXIV Borgo
Desire line 2
Desire line 3 Scavi
RotondaDrainA Roman phobiaA burial placeA small but richly decorated tombA memorial shrineA crucifixionAnamnesis
Relics Panacea
Chain monstranceRelics 1–100Relics 1–20
Drain monstranceRelics 1–100Relics 1–20
Name monstranceRelics 1–100Relics 1–20
Afterimages ChainDrainName
Texts “Unconscious Cities.” The persistence of memory: organism, myth, text. Philip Kuberski. University of California Press, 1992.
“Memory Palace — A Trace Study.” Erin Mizrahi. http://goo.gl/O73Zt
(On relics) Gregory of Tours (539-594): History of the Franks: Books I–X Introduction by Earnest Brehaut from his 1916 translation.
“derealization.” Jon Beasley-Murray. http://goo.gl/Hgmng
Rioni: The Districts of Rome. Allan Ceen and Jim Tice http://nolli.uoregon.edu/rioni.html
Freud’s Italian Journey. Laurence Simmons. Editions Rodopi B.V., 2006. http://goo.gl/B3Ggi
The Tomb of St. Peter. Margherita Guarducci. Hawthorn Books, 1960. http://goo.gl/eP7j7
“Freud and the Figure of Moses: The Moses of Freud.” Harold P. Blum. Reading Freud’s Reading. Edited by Sander L. Gilman, et. al. New York University, 1994.
Paul Soulellis · American Academy in Rome · February 2011
