
Bringing Memories to Life with Artificial Intelligence
Synthetic Memories is a creative project that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to bring personal memories to life, especially those without photos or videos. By turning people’s detailed recollections into AI-generated images and short videos, this project helps recreate moments that might have faded with time.
Helping People with Dementia and Alzheimer’s
One of the most meaningful uses of Synthetic Memories is in therapy for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. These AI-generated images can help spark forgotten emotions and encourage conversations about the past. Therapists have found that revisiting these recreated memories can improve emotional well-being and help slow cognitive decline.
A Space for Sharing Stories
In May 2024, Synthetic Memories opened its first public office at the Disseny Hub in Barcelona. Supported by the Barcelona City Council and BIT Habitat, this space invites people to share their memories and have them turned into AI-generated visuals. Participants can also choose to include their stories in a public exhibition, creating an archive of shared human experiences.
Ethics and Privacy Come First
Synthetic Memories takes privacy and ethics seriously. They ensure that the AI-generated images are not mistaken for real photos by intentionally adding slight visual differences. Cultural sensitivity is also a priority, and they collaborate with local organizations to ensure every community is treated with respect.
Connecting Generations Through Stories
One of the most beautiful parts of this project is its ability to connect generations. Older people can share their stories with younger participants, building bridges between the past and the present. By using AI to preserve and visualize memories, Synthetic Memories helps create a deeper sense of connection and understanding across ages.
A New Way to Preserve Memories
Synthetic Memories shows how technology can do more than just make life convenient—it can help us remember, connect, and understand one another better. Through AI, this project offers a unique way to honor personal and shared histories, making sure important stories are never forgotten.
How Synthetic Memories Started
Launched in 2022 by the creative studio Domestic Data Streamers, Synthetic Memories works with people from different communities around the world. Through one-on-one interviews, the team gathers stories and transforms them into visuals. This has been especially important for refugees and migrants who may have lost photos or never had the chance to document their lives.
By Manuel Charr (source: www.museumnext.com/bringing-memories-to-life-with-artificial-intelligence ), January 07 2025

Wellbeing Is More Than Feeling Good: What Cultural Mediation Can Learn from Psychology
When we speak about wellbeing, we often speak in simplified terms. We ask whether people feel happy, satisfied, positive, or emotionally balanced. These are important questions, but they may not be enough. Carol Ryff’s influential 1989 article challenged exactly this narrow understanding of wellbeing and argued that psychological wellbeing is much broader than happiness or life satisfaction alone .
For those of us working in cultural mediation and adult learning, this insight remains deeply relevant. If culture is to contribute to wellbeing, then its role cannot be limited to entertainment, distraction, or temporary emotional uplift. Cultural experiences can also support meaning, connection, growth, dignity, and agency.
Beyond Happiness




























