Pockets Full of Memories: an interactive museum installation

Abstract

Conceived as an installation on the topic of the archive and memory, Pockets Full of Memories was exhibited on the main floor of the Centre Pompidou National Museum of Modern Art, Paris from 10 April to 3 September 2001. During this time, approximately 20,000 visitors came to view the installation and contributed over 3300 objects in their possession, digitally scanning and describing them. This information was stored in a database and organized by the Kohonen Self-Organizing Map algorithm [http://www.cis.hut.fi/teuvo/] that positioned objects of similar descriptions near each other in a two-dimensional map. The map of objects was projected in the gallery space and was also accessible online at [www.pocketsfullofmemories.com] where individuals in the gallery and at home could review the objects and add comments and stories to any of them.