The digital image as a travel memento. 18 days, six cities, and 294 photos. Images take up space on a digital shelf but are invisible; any neglection is immune to dust. Through the lens of digital images and corresponding data, Mementos has three goals—(1) data dissection, (2) a personal photo album, (3) annotations on memory and the creation of mementos. The book objectively and subjectively explores the question—Are these photos valuable mementos of the trip?
The book’s form is inspired by physical data storage centers—industrial server farms, twisted cables and reflective phone screens. Apple’s system font emphasizes the digital interface. Images are reduced to black pixels, highlighting inherent ephemerality and intangibility. A travel timeline spans the book, extending to the outer edge and the front cover. ChatGPT was used to convert raw data from the images into usable formats. Three images contain potent memories of autobiographical objects that become reference points for what constitutes a valuable memento.