Personal memories shape individuals’ identities and inform their decisions. Since the beginning of time, technology has been used to aid human’s natural recall capabilities. The tools which are used to record them, have inevitably shaped and influenced not only how people remember, but also what they save. Digital media have provided great opportunities and power of handling personal memory collections, but have also introduced several controversies. The accumulation of huge unsorted digital archives is becoming inevitable: selecting pictures and files is now work rather than pleasure. Companies are starting to address this issue with new products and features, but this raises the question whether something so important as memories should be left in the hands of private corporations.
This thesis addresses the need to find motivation to curate memories from my past with a personal and artistic approach. It argues the importance of defining a strong objective to encourage such hard work. I achieved this through the realization of a physical and interactive project: Amarcordi. It consists in modular magnetic embroideries, each one representing a cherished story from my past. The visual and tactile language I designed represents not only people and facts, but also emotions and moods. Findings show the effectiveness of the project in inspiring me to recollect and reflect, giving me the opportunity to look at events through different perspectives. A surprising benefit was also creating an innovative way to share those cherished moments with dear ones
