‘Through collecting, the passionate pursuit of possession finds fulfillment, and the everyday prose of objects is transformed into poetry, into a triumphant unconscious discourse.’
Jean Baudrillard, The System of Objects. 1968
The initial taxidermy project evolved into a project about collectors and their motivations behind collecting. Collecting
tries to make sense of material culture. It gives a system to a specific category of objects and allows for a personal form
of classification.
The following categories have been established to be essential components to collections and collecting.
Acquisition
The amateur begins to collect. The act of collecting leads to the gain of possession
Accumulation
A growing collection. With gained experience comes access to more refined platforms and the ability to distinguish.
Compilation
A refined, focused collection. When objects are acquired and/or discarded in order to follow a defined goal. The compilation
imposes a value system, which adheres to the collector's goals. The amateur has evolved and is an accomplished collector.
Validation
The novice seeks validation by peers. With growing experience the collector no longer seeks validation but informs his peers
and in return becomes the expert.
Condition
With growing experience, the condition of the object becomes of greater importance to the collector.
Value
The expert collector seeks objects of great value. The definition of value varies from collector to collector.
Organisation
Collectibles are organised in order to gain an overview.
Storage
The growing collection must be stored adequately to maintain its validity, condition and value.
Display
The collector displays his/her collection in order to validate its existence. It combines the organisation, storage and validation of the collection. Along with the material collection, the achievement of collecting is displayed.
Fact Box
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Students
- Max Kropitz (Presentation)
- Zahra Shahabi Sirjani (Presentation)