“Memory is often our only connection to who we used to be. Memories are fossils, the bones left by dead versions of ourselves. More potently, our minds are a hungry audience, craving only the peaks and valleys of experience. The bland erodes, leaving behind the distinctive bits to be remembered again and again.
Painful or passionate, surreal or sublime, we cherish those little rocks of peak experiences, polishing them with the ever-smoothing touch of recycled proxy living. In so doing—like pagans praying to a sculpted mud figure—we make of our memories the gods which judge our current lives.”
Tress of the Emerald Sea, Brandon Sanderson, pg. 233
We make of our memories the gods which judge our current lives, because they are our creators, and we can understand ourselves as a reflection of their image. Yet, we are not beholden to what we see mirrored in the surface of the ever-running river of time; with will and want one can reroute its course, disturb its surface, and participate actively in the continuity of living, flowing, memory. The way things were is not always the way we (choose to) remember them, which is simply to say that running water has a funny way of shaping everything it touches; the fluvial geomorphology of time itself has shaped the very landscape of our past experiences.
Co-Ex’s sixth call for submissions is dedicated to the theme of memory and nostalgia, our longing gaze upstream towards all that came before. We invite you to reflect not on the past but on the way we remember it, the way we hold on to and cherish it, and how this process then permeates into the beating heart of the present.
Cultural Memory
Collective memory
Cultural influence on individual memory
Cognitive sociology
Sociobiographical memory | perception & memory
Forgotten histories
Traditions and ceremonies
Censorship/power over memory
How we remember: clothing, photographs, music, etc.
Genetic Memory
Our bodies/ancestors
Plants/…
Animal instincts
Evolution
Nostalgia
Cultural artifacts
Cultural nostalgia
False sense of belonging
Escapism as a coping mechanism for change
Social connection
Possessions having sentimental value
Dictionary of obscure sorrows
Aulacy - the sadness that there is no way to convey a powerful memory to people who were not there.
Annamoia - Nostalgia for a time or a place one has never known.
The fantasy of Memory
Storytelling
Truth & imagination in memories
Creating false memories in children
Romanticizing the past (the golden age)
Cultural legends
Folklore and urban legends
The cover artwork for this collection was created by artist Nohana Sayama. To explore more of their work, check out the links below.
Instagram: @nhn_sym
Website: https://readymag.website/u2905474205/5430645/
The chosen pieces will be featured in Co-Ex's online art gallery. Submissions are now accepted exclusively through the portal on our website; artists must first upload their work to their profile page before officially submitting it through the Call for Submissions process. Email submissions will no longer be accepted. All submissions must include an artist’s statement that clearly links the work to the current Call for Submissions—entries without a complete statement will not be considered. Work from all creative mediums is welcome, including sculpture, painting, drawing, performative arts, music, written work, textile arts, ceramics, mixed media, prints, digital art, short films, and more. Collaboration is encouraged but not required. If you have an idea but need help making it happen, or want to collaborate but don't have a partner, feel free to reach out—maybe we can help!
