The exhibition is based on letters collected by the charity foundation Arithmetic of Good, written by children currently living in, as well as graduates of, orphanages and foster families. In these letters, they share their memories, fears, and experiences, while also speaking about their hopes for the future—the dream of finding a family and discovering their place in the world. The works by the artists presented in the exhibition resonate with the children’s recollections, while the exhibition itself invites the viewer to take a closer look at the very process of remembering.

The past rarely possesses stability or permanence, and the process of remembering is always mediated by distortions and losses of information. Even the existence of archives and documents—photographs, records, texts—cannot reconstruct a factually accurate picture of the past, since such evidence fails to account for the nuances, emotions, and contexts of lived experience. If the reality of past events inevitably eludes us, then a closer examination of how and what we remember may reveal new dimensions in our perception and understanding both of ourselves and of the world around us.

The exhibition consists of several thematic sections, each exploring different mechanisms and forms of memory. Spaces, Small and Fragile, Holidays, The External, Adults, and Within are devoted to the people, situations, and objects that may serve as carriers and triggers of memory. The sections Fragments and Methods of Preservation focus on the ways in which we preserve memories. The forms through which memories exist are explored in the sections Metaphors and Forms, Distortions, Illusions, Dreams, Reveries, and Fantasies.
Common to every section is a return to the idea that even the smallest, in some ways most fragile details of the past may exert a profound influence on the present, becoming the foundation of particular aspects of one’s identity.

All works presented in the exhibition are available for acquisition. A portion of the proceeds from each sale will be donated to the charity foundation Arithmetic of Good to support its mentorship programs for children from orphanages, helping them through the process of adaptation and providing them with the support of a trusted adult.