What's it worth?
Communicating with Collections - student group project What's it Worth? (2008)
What's it Worth? exhibition - one person‘s trash is another person’s treasure
'Sandy' an exhibit at the What's it Worth? exhibition
Student Group Project 2008
Throughout our lives we collect objects. Some of these objects have a special meaning to us. We feel an emotional attachment to them because they remind us of someone during a significant period. However, we can discard other objects easily. How do we decide which category an object fits in to and how do we get rid of the objects we no longer value? What’s it Worth? was an exhibition exploring the reasons why we keep some things – and put them in museums – and why other objects are discarded: - one person‘s trash is another person’s treasure. It was curated by MA Museums & Galleries: Culture, Collections and Communication Students who decided to ask the question: “What’s it Worth?” Their research resulted in a unique one day exhibition to explore the value we give objects held in the historic Undercroft building behind Winchester Cathedral.
The exhibition investigated the cultural value and worth of the objects exhibited by examining the differences between public and museum disposals and the artistic interpretation of value. It was split into three sections: Museum disposals; Artistic Response; Found Objects. All the objects within the exhibition had been thrown away by previous owners so the exhibition acts as a recycling process for the object. From a visibly damaged kettle to a loved and dearly missed childhood toy, visitors are asked to participate in the idea of an object’s worth. Artist Julia Flatman has created site-specific sculptures for the exhibition made entirely from found items. The work entitled Personal Reminiscences of a Great Crusade directly responds to ideas of value and worth through representing the Undercroft building and how the building has been used throughout its history. Each sculpture represents a significant episode in the history of Winchester including the life and work of Winchester resident Josephine Butler who lived nearby. In the section of discarded objects, visitors were challenged by a series of questions:. Can you guess why these objects were discarded? Have you ever owned similar objects? What do these objects remind you of? Would you discard these objects? Would you want to keep them? Why?
