Retired Objects : An exploration of our complex relationship to everyday things.

Retired Objects is a project that explores the intimate relationship we humans form with everyday things. My investigation centers around the questions Can we begin to value objects as our equals, rather than as our servants? and What roles do objects play in our daily lives other than fulfilling a practical function? As a theoretical framework I investigate different facets of our material culture and how we relate to objects, focusing on our emotional connection to them, how we use them as mirror and tools for self-creation, and how being a maker is an integral part of our human identity. Using speculative design methods, I wish to invite us to reimagine our relationship to objects. The result is a series of pre-owned chairs, that I have re-designed, reimagined to envision them in a new light, free from the burden of fulfilling a practical function. Who are they once they retire from their job of serving us? By using design fiction and presenting an alternative narrative I wish to invite us to reimagine the way we relate to everyday objects