Faculty of Art

Integrated Media

Sophie Zakinthinos

The Live We Live

What happens to the everyday objects we once cherished? Do you still remember what they look like? When my memory fades, all that remains are the things left behind. Who will remember the love they once held? A watch frozen in time, a blanket once clutched tightly, A photo album curling at the edges, a ring carrying a love now left behind. These objects outlive us, memories we can no longer tell. The Lives We Live gathers these objects, honouring the lives, love, and the losses these objects now hold. Through them, we are never truly forgotten.

“The Lives We Live is an artwork reflecting on the everyday objects we cherish. This piece was inspired by the passing of my Yiayia and Papou, my grandparents. I began reflecting on the lives they lived and the objects that once meant so much to them. In doing so, I also reflected on my own past—the things I once loved but have since forgotten.The installation centers on four objects: a watch, a childhood blanket, a photo album, and a wedding ring. I carefully chose each object after speaking with my father and learning about its significance in my grandparent's lives. These belongings, once essential to daily life, now remind me of stories of love, migration, family, and memory.The watch, the first major purchase my Papou made after immigrating to Canada, is displayed using Pepper's Ghost Illusion, which creates the appearance of a hovering, untouchable object. This technique captures the absence left behind, symbolizing how the person who once wore it is no longer present, yet their memory lingers.The ring, my Yiayia's wedding band engraved with my Papou's name and their wedding date, Basile Zakinthinos, November 30, 1961, is presented on a cylindrical structure that invites viewers to walk around it. Much like turning a ring in your hands to read an inscription, this act of physical engagement mirrors the process of discovery and remembrance.My baby blanket, a soft, worn-down object, a remnant of my earliest memories, is projected through light, erasing its comfort and transforming it into a ghostly, fragile image. Over time, the blanket moves in and out of focus and moves around. Playing on my memory and how I once played with it. Lastly, a family photo album is presented, but the photographs are blank. This absence evokes how memory deteriorates over time and how the physical evidence of life is lost. Objects, images, and mementos remain even when the stories they once held grow harder to recall.The titles of this artwork capture their significance: A Precious Watch Frozen in Time, A Blanket Loved and Cherished Yet Forgotten, Our Family Photo Album, and A Secret Revealed Only after Her Death; Basile Zakinthinos, November 30, 1961. These titles encapsulate themes of love, loss, and remembrance.We interact with objects every day without considering their lasting presence. They shape our lives, holding our history and memories within them. One day, they are essential; the next, they are left behind—no longer needed, yet still significant.This artwork explores love, loss, and grief—the significance of the everyday and the stories embedded in the objects we leave behind. By honouring these objects, we honour the people who once held them, preserving their stories even after they are gone.”