In 2010 we were invited by Pro Artibus to spend two summer months responding and interacting with the small Finnish town of Ekenäs. Initial impressions and observations led us to an investigation into the notion of Finnish privacy, and the effect this condition has on local social structures and communicative patterns.
Intervention #2: The museum of anything and everything
The ‘museum of anything and everything’ explored the relationship between the personal and the public within a site-specific context, that of a fleamarket.
Fleamarkets seem to be particularly popular in Finland, and, within the context of our chosen field of research, they were one of the few places where we found something of the private openly presented and put on display (albeit temporarily) in a semi-public location; portraits that are pieced together like a puzzle. At the ‘Kirrpis Kasler’ in Ekenas a small selling booth can be hired for 10 Euros a week. We decided to hire one of these booths and convert it into a temporary ‘museum of anything and everything’, redefining the functionality, perception and experience of the space.
How do we value and relate to personal belongings, both our own and those of another individual? How is this relationship affected when objects are placed behind a piece of glass and labelled as exhibits rather than products? Do they gain in value or significance?
Exhibition #1
Our first exhibition displayed a seemingly random and nondescript collection of every-day items that had been found in the flea market. Interviews were held with the previous owners, to create an audio guide that revealed the personal story behind each of the exhibits, releasing some of the narratives that saturate the space. Visitors to the museum of anything and everything could listen to this guide in both Swedish and Finnish, using the headphones that were hanging on the side of our display case.
The museum of anything and everything #1 Finnish
The museum of anything and everything #1 Swedish
Exhibition #2
For the second exhibition we invited a variety of collectors from Ekenäs to display their treasured collections. Exhibits included a collection of plastic animals, a collection of Lego, and a collection of handbags. Interviews with each respective collector could be heard using the headphones.
Petra
Fred
Asa
