Transformative Memory Archive

Items

• Pieces of Exhibition
  This video shows two of the artworks exhibited at the State of the Art exhibit at the Chocolate Factory, Dublin. The first was a poem titled For You Without Skin by Ugandan poet and professor at the Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Juliane Okot Bitek. The poem is also accompanied by a video of Juliane reading the poem. The second artwork is a collection of poster arts by Indonesian artist Alit Ambara. Both artists are members of the Transformative Memory International Network.
• Hidden Barrier to Peace
  Professor Dominic Bryan of Queens University (right side) led the Hidden Barriers bus tour for the participants of the Memolab. A focal point of the tour was the towering 'Peace Walls’, tangible symbols of division erected to shield opposing factions from the darkest extremes of one another. In peacetime, however, these imposing structures took on an unintended role as barriers, hindering the integration of two communities.
• Testimony of the Tapestry
  TMIN member Dorcus Atyeno (Justice and Reconciliation Project) sat in front of the 'Beading Memory' tapestry. The tapestry created by the women of Women's Advocacy Network in Northern Uganda and tells their collective memories of the war in northern Uganda. The tapestry was part of the State of the Art exhibition held at the Chocolate Factory, Dublin.
• In the beginning there was poster
  Participants engaged with Indonesian poster artist Alit Ambara's collections. The posters were part of the State of the Art exhibition held at the Chocolate Factory, Dublin. In a workshop, participants chose any artwork that resonated or echoed for them and then discussed the artwork among themselves. They then created a short performance as a gesture to respond and reciprocate to the artwork.
• Music for Peace
  Ugandan artist Jeff Korondo performing during "Remembrance," a MemoLab live performance featuring a live musical performance that featured him along with singer songwriter Hilary Bow, a performance of ‘At Summer’s End’ by Féiim James performed by Carla Ryan and poetry from The Feeling Soul by Mary Moynihan performed by Carla Ryan, Rob Harrington and Niamh Sweeney.
• Round of Reflection
  Participants of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Memolab sat together for a round of reflection after engaging in a series of workshop and artist talk on the first day of the Memolab and the State of the Art exhibition, held at the Chocolate Factory, Dublin.
• Two Hands to the Sky
  Pictured here are the two hands of Ugandan artist Jeff Korondo who partnered with Professor Aimee Craft (University of Ottawa) in a workshop entitled "Performing Memories," a practical theatre-based workshop. This was held on 15 October 2022 at the Chocholate Factory, Dublin, where the State of the Art exhibition was held.
• To Lead and Follow
  Ugandan artist Jeff Korondo partnered with Professor Aimee Craft (University of Ottawa) in a workshop entitled "Performing Memories," a practical theatre-based workshop. In this workshop, participants were paired together in an exercise to mirror each other movement that the barrier between who leads and follows ceases to exist. This was held on 15 October 2022 at the Chocholate Factory, Dublin, where the State of the Art exhibition was held.
• TMIN and Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts & Equality
  In partnership with the Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival, the Transformative Memory International Network participants, were part of the State of the Art: Transformative Memories in Political Violence Multi-Media Exhibition (14 October to 3 November 2022) with presentations, artist talks and performances from Colombia, Uganda, Northern Ireland, Indonesia and Ireland. The exhibition included work from TMIN members: Alit Ambara (poster exhibition), Erika Diettes (photographs of her work Relicarios, a bead work by the Women's Advocacy Network of Uganda, a number of Conflict Textiles, installations of Jeff Korondo's music for peace in Uganda, an installation of Ugandan poet Juliane Okot Bitek, a documentary of Rutas del Conflicto Colombian media outlet about land dispossession in Colombia, and an installation of a performance piece by Tahltan Nation artist Peter Morin. The exhibition also included a range of public engagement events.
• Time to Witness
  TMIN members Dorcus Atyeno from the Justice and Reconciliation Project (JRP) alongside Ugandan artists Jeff Korondo of Music for Peace on the stage for "Remembrance," a MemoLab live performance which was held on 15 October 2022, 7-10pm. Dorcus read aloud each and every letter handwritten by families of the disappeared with Jeff translating to English. The families, through the letters and the objects, demand the audience to bear witness the missingness and the afterlives of violence. This took place at The Chocolate Factory, Dublin where the State of the Art exhibition was held.
• Textiles and Memory: Nicitu in Londonderry
  TMIN members Alit Ambara and Paolo Vignolo discussing the reproduced artwork "Map of Nicitu" with Conflict Textiles' curator Roberta Bacic. Roberta reproduced the drawings created by survivors of abduction of landscape and places of memory (red stars) in former LRA military base, Nicitu, South Sudan, and printed it on a textile that was specifically made in Northern Ireland. The reproduced map was also part of co-creation workshop with Conflict Textiles on Friday, 22 October 2022.
• You Are Now Entering Free Derry
  As part of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Memolab, TMIN partipated in a walking tour of the Derry City. This tour showed the divided nature of people’s existence within the city. The tour included a history of the city and involved walking the walls of the city, which are about 1.5km in circumference and were built between 1613-1618. The tour however also focused on division in the city that goes back centuries and has manifest in divided communities.
• Arts and Collaboration
  TMIN member and poster artist Alit Ambara took a commemorative photo with Conflict Textiles' curator Roberta Bacic in front of two artwoks from Conflict Textiles and Alit Ambara side by side. As part of the Transformative Memory International Network exchange, a bespoke exhibition was added on 18 October 2022. The exhibit included the work of the TMIN member Alit Ambara (poster artist) and pieces from the Conflict Textiles collection. It opened on Tuesday, 18th October and ran until the 6th of November and was curated by Roberta Bacic and Karen Logan. It was located within the “Troubles Gallery” section of the Ulster Museum.
• Standing in the Freedom Corner
  TMIN participants took part on a guided bus tour, led by Professor Dominic Bryan of Queens University, immersed in the turbulent tale of 'The Troubles,' a conflict etched into the fabric of Northern Ireland between 1968 and 1998. Professor Bryan used the geography of the city to explain the roots of the conflict and the related economic history of the City. Each stop offered them a poignant snapshot of the conflict, as seen here with a mural of the Freedom Corner, with fragments of memory frozen in time through murals painted on the walls of houses and shops.
• Moments of Exchange
  TMIN participants were hosted by Hollywell Trust. Gerard Deane, the Executive Director of Holywell Trust, explained the work of the organisation in bringing communities together in the City. Holywell Trust, founded in 1988, aims to promote better relationships and social transformation in Derry-Londonderry and beyond by fostering partnership, collaboration, policy development and cross-community dialogue. Deane also explained some of the legacies of the conflict and how the peace process has failed to address ongoing social division and in impoverishment in parts of the city.
• Act of Solidarity
  TMIN members Alejandra Gaviria, Dorcus Atyeno and artist Erika Diettes holding an invisible umbrella for Alit Ambara. This was part of a gesture to respond to some of the artworks exhibited at the Dublin Arts and Human Rights Festival 2022 as part of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Memolab in collaboration with Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts & Equality.
• Participants of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Memolab in Ulster University, Magee College.
  Participants of the Ireland/Northern Ireland Memolab took a commemorative photo in front of Magee College, Ulster University. The photo was taken after they participated in different group visits and activities which include Conflict Textiles workshop with Roberta Bacic, Material Cultural and Memory workshop with Alit Ambara, and Theatre and Conflict workshop with Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick.
• Every Stitch, a Longing for Mado
  The image depicts a heartfelt embroidery crafted by Oey Hay Djoen during his time in detention on Buru Island, Indonesia. In this piece, Oey lovingly captured the face of his beloved daughter, Mado, as a poignant reflection of his deep longing for her. This piece was exhibited along with other artworks from Colombia, Uganda, Northern Ireland, and Indonesia in a pop-up exhibit, curated by Alit Ambara, on February 16, 2025, as part of the TMIN Indonesia Knowledge Exchange. The exhibit was hosted in the backyard of Jane Luyke (Oey Hay Djoen's wife) during the welcome dinner for TMIN Indonesia Exchange participants.
• Voice of the People
  “Voice of the People” is produced collaboratively by singer and song-writer Jeff Korondo of Music for Peace ‪@mfpuganda‬ and ‪@transformativememory‬ Transformative Memory International Network. It's an ambitious multimedia project that seeks to weave together transformative memory, alternative perspectives, and artistic expression. Through an original song and a captivating music video, we aim to engage audiences in critical reflections on how we perceive, listen, and exist in the together.
• Testimony of a Memory Keeper: Jane Luyke
  This short video depicted the night of the welcome dinner at Jane Luyke's backyard, 15 February 2025. Jane hosted the participants of the Indonesia Knowledge Exchange 2025. The night includes a performance from Dialita Choir, pop-up exhibit curated by Alit Ambara, a spread of Indonesian food and dessert, as well exchanges of stories, gifts, and solidarity. This video is created and contributed by Jane's grandson, Vadimitra.