exchange

I gave myself two parameters; it needs to be free and in London, or close enough to spend minimal travel money. I must have messaged about 25 people, and only had replies from about 5.

It struck me that this exchange could be very one sided. People offering things for free often didn’t fulfil their roll in the deal, and I had to chase for replies which never came.

When meeting the sellers face to face, I was able to further investigate into their lives, by asking one question; ‘why did you want to get rid of this’. Each response was very different and did in fact give interesting information that I then documented. Some of the exchanges were very easy, and the sellers were very friendly, whereas others were more like an awkward drug deal. Involving the people like this, through recording the exchanges, incorporates fragments of their stories and lives. It brings them into the piece. Furthermore, objects that people acquire through their lives can tell a story. It can almost paint a portrait of a person without revealing their identity.

Gum Tree / FaceBook Market Place instillation

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