Recollection: Memory & Time at The Portico Library

Recollection: Memory & Time at The Portico Library, Chinatown, 28 July–10 September 2017, free entry - Visit now

An exhibition of books, artefacts and new artworks by five North West artists at The Portico Library explores the theme of memory as part of the library’s reminiscence project for people with dementia and their carers. An associated programme of workshops, talks and performances from, among others, Asia Triennial Manchester Director Alnoor Mitha, Jameel Prize nominee Saima Rasheed, artist and educator Stacey Coughlin and the Alzheimer’s Society’s ‘Dementia Friends’ network, will also run alongside.

When describing the difference between ‘emotional’ memory and ‘data’ memory in those with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Society invokes the analogy of two bookcases, one sturdy and resilient, the other rickety and unstable. The Portico Library’s collection of 25,000 books is not only a memory bank of information, but a source of inspiration that stimulates emotional responses from visitors and researchers, opening myriad routes of contemplation and discovery. Recollections: Memory & Time presents starting points for thinking about what memory is and the role that it plays in our lives: where it comforts or troubles us; where it motivates us to preserve our world; where it helps to build culture and identity; where it brings us together; and where it gives form to our personal lives.