Memories That Make Us: The Past We Carry, The Stories We Become
Deakin Library is proud to open the exhibition Memories That Make Us: The Past We Carry, The Stories We Become in October. It invites visitors to explore the deeply personal and collective experiences of migration, identity, and cultural inheritance.
A living archive of migration
At its heart, the exhibition reflects on the post-World War II migration from Italy to Australia – a journey marked by resilience, adaptation, and the enduring weight of memory. Through evocative visual storytelling, archival materials, and digital media, the exhibition captures the layered and often unresolved nature of migration.
Emerging from a long-term research project led by Associate Professor Toija Cinque, Associate Professor Martin Potter, and Professor Sean Redmond from Deakin’s School of Communication and Creative Arts, the exhibition is a collaboration with the Critical Digital Infrastructures and Interfaces (CDII) research group. It also draws on the expertise of CO.AS.IT. Italian Assistance Association, senior researcher and Il Globo journalist Riccardo Schirru, and multicultural communications expert Fotis Kapetopoulos.
Memory as a bridge between worlds
Rather than presenting migration as a singular event, Memories That Make Us reveals it as a fluid, ongoing negotiation of identity. Visitors are invited to consider how personal reminiscing and collective histories shape our understanding of home, belonging, and transformation.
The exhibition’s title speaks to the duality of memory: the past we carry with us, and the stories we become through its telling. It is a poignant reminder that every community is built on a mosaic of lived experiences – each one contributing to a shared cultural narrative.
Engage with memory and community
Deakin Library is inviting the community to participate in two creative programs that celebrate the everyday moments, expressions, and rituals that shape our lives. These programs – Recipes That Remain and Words That Stay – offer both in-person and online opportunities to reflect, connect, and contribute.
Food is at the heart of many cultures and communities. It’s how we connect, celebrate, and remember. The Recipes That Remain program invites students and staff to share a recipe that holds personal meaning, whether it’s a dish passed down through generations or a go-to meal for friends and family. Visitors can get a recipe card from the gallery space, write their recipe on the card and leave it in on a shelf in the kitchen, adjacent to the gallery space, for others to read and enjoy.
The Words That Stay program invites the Deakin community to share the quirky, humorous, and memorable expressions passed down through families and friends online. These sayings are often tied to specific moments in time, conversations around the dinner table, advice from grandparents, or inside jokes that live on. We will be asking for submissions via the Deakin Library Instagram page and have prize packs to give away. Terms and conditions for the competition can be found here.
Plan your visit
Located at the Burwood Library Exhibition Space, the exhibition is open to the public from 27 October 2025 to 1 March 2026, daily from 8.00am to 9.00pm. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or community member, this is an opportunity to engage with history that is alive and evolving.
For more information, visit the Memories That Make Us event page.