Ulf Rollof, The Remembered Self / The Forgotten Self (2001)
The Swedish artist Ulf Rollof had the two cylindrical structures of The Remembered Self / The Forgotten Self (2001) put up in the Norway spruce wood in Zeewolde in the framework of the temporary art project ARTificial NATURAL NETWORKS (2000–2001).
Imagine them in the forest. Looking into The Remembered Self with its … semi-transparent cover. Nature receiving heat… and keeping its humidity, but receiving little light. On the other hand, The Forgotten Self, where the audience can fill up the buckets at the tap in the center and water the forest in this open meeting point. - Ulf Rollof
The part entitled The Remembered Self is a dark grey steel cylinder with eyeholes at adult and child eye levels. It has a perforated roof that admits only a few rays of light. Hardly anything grows inside it. The interior is warmed by the heat of the sun and stays humid, but because there is so little light, not much else can grow here besides moss. The second cylinder, The Forgotten Self, is yellow and has openings all over. It has a water pump in the middle and watering cans hanging from the side. Anyone who comes here can give nature a hand by watering the plants.
Contradiction
The two cylinders present a stark contrast. The Remembered Self is closed and dark, The Forgotten Self is open and light; The Remembered Self is almost barren, but lots of things grow in The Forgotten Self, and their growth can be encouraged. The watercolour sketch he made for this project shows naked people moving blithely among the plants in and around The Forgotten Self. The Forgotten Self contains much more life than The Remembered Self.
Ulf Rollof makes installations, sculptures and drawings that are often charged with symbolic meaning. Both the concept of memory and his personal memories often play a major part. Outside Sweden, works of his have been shown in various international exhibitions, including Documenta IX (1992) and the Venice Biennale (1999).
In Zeewolde, visitors are invited to take a watering can from The Remembered Self / The Forgotten Self (2001) home with them, so they can use it as a ‘life source’ there too.
Annick Kleizen
1 Ulf Rollof, letter to De Verbeelding dated 26 November 2000
Ulf Rollof, The Remembered Self / The Forgotten Self
1961, Karlskrona, Sweden
The Remembered Self / The Forgotten Self (2001)
Steel, water pump, watering cans
Two parts, each 2 m x diameter of 4 m
Location: Zeewolde woods
De Verbeelding Collection
Contributions
CiskaComments
Jo
