2022
Ownership is the most intimate relationship that one can have to objects. Not that they come alive in him; it is he who lives in them. — Walter Benjamin
Conversations with Clutter takes readers on a journey through decluttering. Exploring the clutter, and the decluttered; this book highlights our chaotic collection of things, a piece of clutter at a time, one page at a time. In all its varied shapes and forms, clutter is vast and irregular, awkward to navigate through, and difficult to handle. The book’s uncomfortably large A3 notepad format is designed to mirror our interactive experience with clutter itself, creating an engaging and immersive tactile reading experience.
This work reads into why we tend to cling to items we no longer need, giving a voice to the inanimate, bringing to life the stories behind our possessions. Including conversations with knickknack enthusiasts and self-proclaimed minimalists, it delves into the psychology behind the ritual of collecting. Topics range from sensationalised reality TV series centred on everyday collectors and hoarders, to sustainability, as well as the popular methods of professional Japanese organising consultants such as Marie Kondo. Ultimately, this publication reveals the complexities and challenges involved in clutter, examining both the positive and negative aspects of our accumulation of things, and how it affects us beyond just the physical matter.
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