‘The Tlonian Island;

An architectural interpretation in relation to the art of memory’

Katrina Varian

Inspired by the Borgesian parallel world of Tlon whereabouts our everyday assumptions of time, space and the individual are challenged. An island exists where anything imagined can take physical form, simultaneous sliding doors type situations, where time, the self and the double, imagination, memory and dream are sliding around in an infinite pool of possibilities. The architectures are located in symbolic moments of memories, dreams and realities of the inhabitant of the Island and assemble to tell the narrative of a journey through the magical landscape of his mind.


Rules on the Borgesian Island:

TIME: does not exist – only as the indefinite present, the present hope and the present memory. MULTIPLE REALITY: all realities that could occur, do occur, simultaneously. These are infinite. It is just chance that we happen to be in this reality. MEMORY: objects become effaced and lose their details when forgotten, duplication of lost objects is not infrequent. IMAGINATION: objects educed by hope (in the future) can and do exist. They can be convoked and dissolved in a moment, according to poetic needs. DREAM: while we are asleep here, we are awake elsewhere and that in this way, everyman is two men. A dreamt or imagined being can exist and is a phantom.


Katrina Varian Y5 U23 katvarian@yahoo.co.uk 07976879018

Posted on

June 26, 2009

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