The Emotional Echo in the Old Objects

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Summary

In the contemporary art field, making emotions tangible is a frequently discussed topic. The large-scale fiber sculptures created by Panamanian textile artist Katrina allow viewers to touch and embrace them. The textiles bring about a sense of intimacy, warmth, and joy, regulating the emotions of the viewers. Therefore, this toolkit is inspired by the "tactile emotions" in Katrina's artworks and combines this mechanism with the emotional memory attributes of old objects, allowing participants to experience the flow of emotions by touching their own old items.

Introduction & Aim

This is an open toolkit that helps individuals retrieve their memories and emotions by touching old items. These items hold deep personal emotions and are items that have been used for a long time. They allow absent people or vanished scenes to remain in the present in the form of “objects”, providing people with a sense of security and a mental transition. By touching them, individuals can draw calmness and energy from them.

Preparation: Take your own objects

（If you don’t take one, I will show you mine and you can feel the emotion.）

Let’s do some exercises! Follow these steps! Students from any background or with any major can join in!

Step 1: Anonymous item placement (2 minutes)

Students place the “Abebe” they brought into a unified bag without any names or explanations. Randomly rearrange the objects to maintain anonymity.

Step 2: Extract objects + Silent observation (4 minutes)

Each student randomly receives an object (not their own) and conducts a quiet observation.
Provide three guiding sentences. Students only need to write down key words on a small piece of paper:

• “The atmosphere of this object is like…”

• “It reminds me of…”

• “What has this object experienced…”

Step 3: Select emotion cards anonymously (3 minutes)

Distribute or display emotion cards (such as: nostalgia, calmness, shyness, guilt, relief, anticipation and so on.).
Each student selects the emotion card that best represents the “object in their hands”, and attaches the emotion card to a note placed next to the object.

emotinal cards shot by the author

Step 4: Close your eyes and engage in self-meditation (for 3 minutes)

Click the audio ! These audio simulations recreate environmental sounds, such as those found in nature or the chanting sounds of a meditation temple. The atmosphere they create helps students enter the moment of memory recall.

The students closed their eyes and touch the strange object in their hands again.

Slowly guiding:

• “What physical sensations does this object bring to you?”

• “How is its emotion different from the one you brought along with Abebe?”

• “Have there been any new, slight emotional changes?”