Cabinet

How are memories preserved? And which of them endure?

A look at human history reveals that memories and knowledge have long been preserved primarily through physical media. From cave paintings and monumental architecture to books and other written records, these media have served not only as repositories of information but also as cultural heritage, some of which has survived for centuries.

The preservation of knowledge and memory appears to be in a constant state of development and optimization, a continuous process of transformation often understood as progress. In this process, older storage media are frequently supplemented or replaced by more innovative forms, gradually fading into obscurity.

With digitalization, this process has reached a paradigm shift in the present day: information can now be stored and transmitted on a previously unimaginable scale, increasingly shifting the preservation of memory and knowledge from the physical into the digital realm.

Unlike earlier developments in information storage, which unfolded comparatively slowly over thousands of years, digital technologies are advancing at an unprecedented pace. Technologies that only recently were considered innovative and revolutionary, such as CDs, Bluetooth, or DVDs, rapidly lose relevance and are largely replaced. With the emergence of generative artificial intelligence, the standards shift once again in a radical way, eclipsing even the most recent technological innovations.

In his artistic practice, Fabian Lehmann observes this process and questions whether it necessarily leads to improvement. Is everything new automatically better? Is complexity always superior to simplicity? Does high-tech naturally surpass low-tech?

He explores the perceived permanence of historical and digital information carriers, which share both commonalities and contradictions. Each appears stable yet fragile in its own way: ancient monuments and other material media convey permanence and stability, yet they remain subject to physical decay. Immaterial digital media seem independent of these limitations, but they rely on technological relevance, continuous maintenance, and data security. This raises the question of whether digital memory is truly permanent, or whether it might one day become just as inaccessible as a crumbling monument.

In his sculptural installations, Lehmann combines historical symbolism with contemporary technologies. Found objects, industrial materials, and historical forms encounter digital imagery and fragments from social media. There is no hierarchy between the materials: a remnant from a scrapyard can be just as significant as a 3D print or an item purchased from an online shop. Their combination creates fields of tension between past and future, craftsmanship and industry, permanence and transience. His works appear simultaneously monumental and fragile, elegant and abandoned, melancholic and humorous.

They also invite viewers to critically reflect on memory as a process of selection and framing: Who decides what is remembered? Which stories are told, and which perspectives are left out? Memory is always shaped by structures of power that evolve alongside technologies. While archives were long managed by institutions with clearly defined hierarchies, this role is increasingly being assumed by digital platforms and their algorithmic mechanisms. On the one hand, they enable more democratic access to historical information; on the other, they introduce new risks: manipulation, information overload, and the dependence of our collective memory on a small number of powerful platforms.

Lehmann's exhibition Cabinet brings together works from the series (IN)STABILITIES alongside previously unpublished works from the same body of work. Their juxtaposition creates new connections and interpretations while opening a space for critical reflection on memory. After all, the way we engage with memory today shapes the way we think about the future.

The ODP Gallery warmly invites you to the opening on June 27 at 4:00 pm.




**FIG.**

left: Western digital
approx. 10 × 15 × 7 cm
PLA plastic, hard drive, spray paint
2025

right: Nebra
20 × 20 cm
PLA plastic, recycled Discman
2025

Photo: Fabian Lehmann
Text: Lena Kerschensteiner