“As You Remember, I Wonder” is a textile installation that weaves together the memories of my grandmothers and my own reflections. Through embroidery and lace, I connect past and present, fragility and resilience, personal stories and collective reflection — all held together in a single, layered narrative.
My maternal grandmother was never free to follow her dreams. Her education was cut short, she was expected to marry, and though she longed to travel, she never left her hometown. She ended having four unwanted kids and taking care of her entire extended family by herself. My paternal grandmother survived the war and the German occupation of Alsace. She was pushed into a career she didn’t choose and worked alongside her husband, but was never officially recognized for her contributions — simply because she was a woman.
These stories, though personal, reflect a shared history for many women. In France and around the world, women have been told what to do, how to behave, what to study, who to marry, when to take birth control, and whether they can work or not. Even today, in a world flooded with information and supposed progress, we continue to see women’s rights threatened and ignored.
I wonder...
What was it like to be a child during the war? To be a woman without legal rights or control over your own body? How far can a body be stretched before it breaks? And amidst all this, what moments brought you through happiness?
I donot see this work as an accusatory gesture, but as a quiet space - a place to pause, to wonder and read between the lines. I wanted to explore what often remains unspoken - to follow the quiet threads of memory passed down through generations. This installation listens to those silences. It brings forward what was overlooked and asks what has changed - and what remains the same - after sixty years or more.
«During the debate about abortion with Simone Veil, someone asked me what I would say if my daughter came to me saying she wanted to get an abortion. I replied I didn’t know, I would need more context and it is not my choice to make anyway... he didn’t like my answer and called me HEARTLESS.» - Mamie Fleurs
«I worked as a seamstress for a long time, but once I got married, your grandpa didn’t want me to work anymore. I had to stay home and take care of the children. I liked taking care of them, but I was stuck at home and I would have preferred to be a teacher or something else. But I didn't have a choice.» - Mamie Kéké
