Back to: PQ'15 Catalogue

Objects

The world is made up of stories, and we are their actors. Sometimes we appear in the main roles, sometimes in supporting roles. Sometimes we are co-authors, sometimes just random bystanders. The places where these stories take place are also their stages and auditoriums. And we see the objects in those stories as props forming an intimate part thereof.

Stories and the objects that appear in them possess varying degrees of immortality depending on the breadth of their audience. A strong personal story hidden within an object behind the closed doors of a private household has a different impact on society than the most banal story of an object that appears on stage during a theatre performance, that is closely associated with an important personality, that dazzles the crowds on a public square, or that lives posthumously as a reincarnation in a museum. The dignity that we assign to an object and the attention that we give it are directly related to the weight and impact of the story with which it is associated.

Objects thus are not autonomous things, removed from the surrounding world; they never stand alone, just for themselves. They have their time of birth, their own life, death and life after death, but they are always connected to the world of human narratives. They were, are and will always be references to the individual stories of their authors, owners, users, or mere observers.

This exhibition presents a disparate collection of items, objects, and props that have made public appearances in the theatre or in public space. But none stands on its own. They all represent the stories to which they are linked. They contain either a strong personal story, a story associated with the theatre or a public performance, or they relate to a political or social context.

We are thus not merely exhibiting objects as such, although many of them possess an undeniable visual quality. We are much more interested in the stories hidden inside, stories that are not visible at first glance. Besides presenting objects from literally the whole world and many different cultures, the exhibition also offers a brief overview of all the stories of human existence that they represent via video installation of stories.

Exhibiting Countries and Regions