Article: “N”
Amsterdam Alternative newspaper, no.57 (Nov-Dec 2024).

The letter N is formed with strokes drawn both from the bottom up and the top down, with a single diagonal line cutting through the verticals. This simple shape reflects a sense of fluidity, much like how memory works shifting between past and future, moving through layers of experience. The act of writing the letter from the bottom up, going against the natural pull of gravity, symbolizes the human ability to reach backwards into memory while simultaneously moving forward into unknown futures. The crossing line, in this context, becomes a metaphor for the meeting point of these two directions in time, merging into a single, unified form that exists in both realms at once. This back-and-forth motion can be seen as the connection between memory and space. Space, as proposed, is not just a physical area but a broad idea that stretches across land, nature, landscape, area, place, spots, lines, and even time itself. When we look at a landscape, we are not just observing the ground in front of us, but also the history held within it, the memories it contains, and the future changes it may go through. The landscape becomes a living memory, a space constantly connected with time.

Water, like space, has layers. Its fluid nature allows it to store and pass on memory ripple, each wave a reminder of past movements, each drop carrying the history of countless places it has touched. The fluid nature of memory is reflected in the behavior of water, where layers of time and experience mix, dissolve, and come together again. Just as water holds traces of its journey, so memory keeps bits of the past, though it is always changing, constantly reshaping itself at each recollection.

Memory is far from being a fixed archive; it is a shifting process, actively shaping how we see both the past and the future. It connects experience, imagination, and anticipation, creating a continuous thread that ties together what has been with what could be. Remembering the past is not just about retrieving facts but is an active construction, one that helps us picture future possibilities. In this way, memory is creative; it rebuilds, reframes, and rethinks. This rethinking applies to the spaces we live in. The landscape, once seen as unchanging, becomes fluid. The space around us is not simply the background for our lives but is shaped by the memories we attach to it. A place we once knew changes as our memories of it shift, and in turn, our future experiences in that space are influenced by how we remember it. This back-and-forth relationship between memory and space means that neither is ever truly the same; they are always evolving, affecting one another.

The idea of space, then, should not be limited to its physical boundaries. It includes everything from the tangible world around us to the more abstract spaces of thought, feeling, and time. A landscape, for example, is not just a view; it is a moment in time, a collection of memories held together in a single scene. This layering of time and memory creates a deep relationship between us and the spaces we occupy.

In this sense, memory can be seen as the force that brings space to life. It is the link that ties our experiences to the environments where they happen. As we move through space, we leave parts of ourselves behind, just as space leaves its mark on us. This exchange is not passive; it is an active back-and-forth between memory and place, past and future. The changing nature of memory is what keeps this exchange going, constantly shifting how we see the world and our role in it.

Ultimately, memory and space are closely connected. Just as the letter N shows a movement that goes beyond typical directions, memory breaks through the limits of time and space, flowing like water, reshaping itself with every new experience. It is this fluidity, this ability to adjust and change, that allows memory to keep affecting the spaces we live in and the futures we imagine. As we move through life, the landscapes around us and the memories inside us are always moving, always changing, and always linked.

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