ambient traces by jessica charlesworth from usa

Ambient Traces is a collection of memorial objects designed to leave small traces of a loved one recently passed away to guide the mourner through their own grieving process. The objects have been designed to transform the way we experience the physical traces of a lost loved one, setting them in poignant and poetic contexts. The kit of grieving tools facilitates a series of new rituals to help the bereaved grieve their loss and begin the healing process.

Grief is the natural psychological, behavioral, social, and physical response that helps the mourner recognize the loss and get ready for the larger and often longer experience of mourning. Rather than being a series of steps that ultimately deposit us at a psychological finish line, grief is rather a grab bag of symptoms that come and go and, eventually, simply lift.

Can we think differently about death and dying in an age of secular belief? How will science and technology afford new death rituals? What could a contemporary reading of memento mori be and what happens to the idea of death in a hyperactive scientific and digital culture that preserves and archives life above all else?

This project calls upon the origins of “Memorialis”, meaning to serve as a reminder by recreating a physical memory. The five senses play a very significant role in the process of making, storing, and retrieving memories. This “sense memory” involves the interaction of the senses and the brain, and the ways in which certain sensory stimuli can trigger memories. Whereas photographs help us access certain moments from the past, the objects in the Ambient Traces collection harness our sense of smell, sound, and touch as well as sight, to evoke a deeper sense of connection to the life recently passed.

Each object in the Ambient Traces collection triggers the senses differently. Together they provide a heightened experience of reflection.

The Olfactory Humidifier
Smell in particular is very evocative, as the olfactory bulb is located right next to the part of the brain that handles memory storage. The humidifier is designed to emit the familiar fragrance of a loved one. Manufactured from perforated sheet brass embossed with the sentiment 'In Loving Memory' the humidifier becomes part of a daily ritual, providing a personal memorial service.

Stubble Brush
Based on the tradition of keeping a lock of hair as a memento mori this shorthair brush made from the hair of the deceased leaves behind the traces of a stubble rash - a reminder of an intimate embrace. Carved from cherry wood with brass detailing, the independent brush heads evoke a missing mouth and are contoured to the face.

Memory Radio
The silence of someone no longer present is a constant reminder of loss. Our daily rituals produce signature sounds that are a reassuring presence and a comfort to those we live with. Memory Radio is an audio device used to play back sound memories of the deceased recorded by the bereaved and manufactured as 3d sound files.

Pillow Impression
The absence of physical traces of the activity of others is another signal that one is alone. Introduced sensitively, such traces can be a conduit to healthy grieving, despite their manufactured nature. A death mask of a beloved’s face, left on the mourner’s pillow, provides traces that soothe.