Mnemonic Phrases
Yto Barrada
Mnemonic Phrases, 2019
Prints
Work (each): 48.3 x 31.8 cm
Yto Barrada’ s broadside poster series, Mnemonic Phrases, is made up of 10 collected phrases, each referring to a different body of information to be remembered; for example, the first letter of each word in,“Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge,” easily recalls the sequence of musical notes, E-G-B-D-F, on the lines of the treble clef. This series, like other works of Barrada’s, engages with her extensive collection of found materials in order to celebrate various forms of self-directed learning. This series employs a subversive humor, as well as the concept of collage, in order to subtly navigate the space where dominant historical narratives intersect with the grammar of the home, the factory, the schoolhouse and the workshop. Mnemonic Phrases specifically refers to memory, and the attempt to remember through language. Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge The lines in the treble clef in music theory E І G І B І D І F Roman Men Invented Very Usual X-ray Guns The electromagnetic spectrum Radio waves І Microwaves І Infrared І Visible light Ultraviolet І X-Rays І Gamma rays Never Eat Soggy Waffles The cardinal directions North І East І South І West Dr.&Mrs.Vander-Tramp Common verbs that use être as an auxiliary verb, as opposed to avoir Devenir І Revenir І Monter І Rester І Sortir І Passer І Venir І Aller І Naître І Descendre І Entrer І Rentrer І Tomber І Retourner І Arriver І Mourir І Partir Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain The order of the colours of the rainbow Red І Orange І Yellow І Green І Blue І Indigo І Violet Napoleon Mange Allegrement Six Poulets Sans Claquer D’Argent The 3rd period of the periodic table Sodium І Magnesium І Aluminum І Silicon І Phosphorus І Sulfur І Chlorine І Argon King Philip Cuts Open Five Green Snakes The taxonomy of living and extinct organisms Kingdom І Phylum І Class І Order І Family І Genus І Species Colline a Deux Colonnes The spelling of the words Colline (hill) and Colonne (column) in French Colline І Colonne My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nougat The planets of the solar system Mercury І Venus І Earth І Mars І Jupiter І Saturn І Uranus І Neptune Caterpillars Capture Every Elephant Made Perfect Thru Trade Unions The nine muses Calliope І Clio І Euterpe І Erato І Melpomene І Polyhymnia І Terpsichore І Thalia І Urania