Archival Memory

​Gotham is pleased to present Archival Memory, a new exhibition by Philadelphia-based artist Noorann Matties (b. 1994), on view at The Mezz at Gotham Bowery beginning September 25. The exhibition will open with a reception on Thursday, September 25, from 6 to 8pm.

In Archival Memory, her newest series of beaded works, Matties recasts the photographer as translator rather than documentarian. Drawing from an archive of negatives amassed through a lifelong photo diary practice, she examines the subtle intentionality of record keeping through beaded meditations on nostalgia. Her use of equalized pony bead “cells” turns canonical snapshots into tactile memory objects. Details are blurred, compressed, and overlapped in an attempt to convey a legible human experience. Over time, these repetitive systems of interpretation evolve into something not quite historical record and not quite personal narrative: a pure translation of desire.

Noorann Matties (b. 1994) is an artist based in Philadelphia, PA. Her work spans across media, aiming to translate the wall of sound inside via the systematic cataloging and organization of imagery surrounding themes of wish fulfillment, nostalgia, fantasy, and personal mythology.

The exhibition is part of Gotham’s ongoing commitment to supporting contemporary and emerging artists.Exhibition Details

​Archival Memory by Noorann Matties

​September 25 - closing date

​Opening Reception: Thursday, September 25, 6pm to 8pm

​The Mezz at Gotham Bowery

​3 East 3rd Street

​NYC