Unlocking the diary: The archiving of nameless memories

As we head towards diary season, what could be more appropriate than an exhibition dedicated to the diary itself? Unlocking the Diary: The Archiving of Nameless Memories is currently being hosted by the Burlington Hotel, Folkestone as part of Folkestone Fringe, and is running alongside the Folkestone Triennial. The exhibition comprises of seven international artists whose work has been inspired by the archiving of everyday people’s diaries.

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According to the organisers the exhibition is ‘interwoven into the current interior architecture of this historic hotel’ where the memories within the diaries are presented alongside the everyday life of the hotel, its guests, staff and passers-by.

And woven into the hotel’s interior it certainly is, with Noriko Okaku’s animated video loop and mixed media piece entitled ‘1945’ nestled beneath a table in the foyer, which may have been easily missed had it not been for the beautifully designed map – that visitors are welcome to pick up and take home with them – pinpointing the exhibits. Whitney McVeigh’s ‘The Part-Singer’ is easier to spot, housed in a display cabinet in the hotel’s sitting room. The mixed media installation uses found objects and explores both personal history and collective memory.

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An exhibition of diaries certainly piques the interest – diaries and the deep dark secrets contained within their pages are, after all, intended to be private. But what happens to a diary when the author is no longer around to keep it? The Unlocking the Diary exhibition is linked to a bigger, ongoing national scheme – The Great Diary Project, based in Bishopsgate, London. The project’s aim is to rescue and collect as many diaries as possible for long-term preservation; saving them from being disposed of by relatives who inherit them, unaware of their historical importance. The collection currently houses over 2000 diaries and the organisers always welcome donations.

Why is preserving the diaries of the unknown so important? Well, the project organisers believe that, ‘No other kind of document offers such a wealth of information about daily life and the ups and downs of human existence’. After all, what we read in the history books has been recorded by authority figures and the privileged, offering only a narrow view of history. The diaries of everyday people – from all ages and walks of life – are a unique record of their thoughts, memories and experiences, and contain information about what happened to them over months or years. Seen through the eyes of an individual, diaries show aspects of history that might have been ignored in the history books.

A diary can come in many forms, from memories recorded in a traditional diary through to other genres or media such as poetry, videos or photography, even diaries written in code. The artist’s sketchbook could also be considered a mode of diary keeping, with sketches depicting the seasons, holidays, feelings, hopes, fears and visions.

premium quality diaries

Whether or not you would be daring enough to donate your diaries to the Great Diary Project, there’s no doubt that keeping your precious memories in a premium quality diary or sleek notebook is a fun and rewarding pastime; and, who knows, your life could one day play an important role in the recording of history.

Unlocking the Diary: The Archiving of Nameless Memories is running now until 2nd November, 10am to 6pm Sunday to Friday and 10am to 1.30pm Saturdays at the Burlington Hotel, Folkestone.