MEM-NON is an interactive visual soundscape installation commissioned by the National Museum of Contemporary Art of Bucharest in 2014. Combining principles of chromatic mimicry found in nature with synesthesia, The installation is conceived as a sensorial experience for the public, which is invited to discover through sound and colour the shape of a hidden butterfly (Papilio Memnon – a polymorphic butterfly with mimicry characteristics).

Around 700 connected modular pillows (20 x 20 cm) made of polyurethane foam and satin, create a temple-like environment with the shape of a gynandromorphic butterfly on its surface. The chromatic pattern on the walls forms a soundscape that can be activated by the public through interactive musical devices, hidden inside the pillows. The soundscape is based on an algorithm created especially for the installation that correlates sounds to colours.  

Every pillow that forms the butterfly has a unique sound related to its colours and pattern. The public can press the pillows to hear their sounds. This way, following the visual or audio pattern, one can live a complex emotional experience. All the sounds are recorded in real time and uploaded on SoundCloud. 

From here, all the audio tracks are archived in the SOUND section of the official website during the exhibition, where the visitors can listen and share them on social networks. The visitors who sign up with their email address before entering the installation, receive an email containing their audio experience.

The installation is a sort of synesthetic instrument to be played by maximum three performers simultaneously. It contains preset sound compositions (arranged for gamelan) that can be activated randomly in order to obtain every time a different performing outcome. 

The experience inside the installation, during one's performance, is continued due to the live recording of all the triggered sounds. The installation combines the physical dimension of the art experience with the social media principles of sharing and preserving the experience in a more virtual way.

The video above examines the development of the installation in a how-it’s-made manner, questioning if the production process of an artwork can have itself a conceptual value. The documented production stages depict the manufacturers as they were each asked to create a specific part of MEM-NON by implementing a new product line, without acknowledging its purpose. The production took place simultaneously in different workshops, and gradually all the parts had to be composed in order to give shape to the installation. Therefore the video follows in a rhythmical progression the non-chronological development of MEM-NON. 

The production was divided into 6 stages, each for a different supplier:
- the pillows made of glued polyurethane foam
- the zippers, modified in order to allow the pillows to be connected in any direction
- the pillowcases made of printed satin in 700 chromatic combinations
- the recording software for the interactive side of the installation
- the sound buttons customized to store the musical compositions
- the assemblage of MEM-NON for the SenzArt show at MNAC, Bucharest