bthiam.com amuse-toi

As part of the PVA Medialab residency, I initiated a social experiment with my fellow lab mates to explore the idea of loss. It stemmed from my rather frequent experiences losing my stuff and having them returned to me by strangers.

I auditioned 7 people and asked them to contribute items that were of sentimental value for the project, with the knowledge that these items may possibly never be returned again. Amongst the items I received were: a key to a house, a student pass, a ring from a best friend, a Whistle In The Wind from an ex-boyfriend, an album of Junior College photographs. I left such items at various locations across Singapore with some indication of how strangers who picked them up might return them to me. If the item was returned, the participant who contributed it, must call the person that gave them the item. And I would record the conversation.

To present the experiment, I did a lecture performance on my findings and the video conversations.