Study 092526 - Memory and Objects #1

In regards to memory and technics, Stiegler writes about the nature of memories embedded in objects. A piece of furniture can function as an externalized synapse — an object that reconnects us to parts of our biological memory, drawing us back into autonoetic recollection.

A three-seater, mustard-colored leather sofa. HJ and I bought it at an auction. It was originally meant to ship to South Korea, but we ended up keeping the sofa. After several failed attempts to sell the piece, we brought it up to our living room with  the help from our son but tore a piece of the leather along the way.

It's not a comfortable couch. The back is too high, the cushion protrudes at an awkward angle, and the seat is too narrow. But despite the discomfort, we've had numerous guests sleep on it.

Many types of value exist for the sofa. In this case, the sentimental value outweighs the capital value — and often, it's this  fact that makes our possessions so hard to discard.

It becomes our way to remember: a way to connect with the recollections our biological memory has abandoned. As Maurice Halbwachs argues, memory is never purely individual — it depends on social frameworks and shared objects. The sofa is one of those frameworks: a memory shared between my children, my wife, myself, and every guest who's slept on it.