Team

With regards to this year’s theme people & things we as the festival coordination team share what things personally mean to each of us. There is a story behind each item, that is portrayed with each team member.

No matter where she moved to, Saada always had a shrine for little things, such as jewelry, stones and photographs. Since she moved last time, there is no shrine anymore and the things are still in a box – but well-guarded.

A few months ago, Lucrezia was looking for binoculars she could use in a guided bird watching trip. She was very pleased to learn that her granny had kept a pair from her deceased grandfather. Although they are heavy and a bit tattered, they have become dear to her, and she would not exchange them for new ones.  

Photography has always been a huge passion of Adamma. Reliving life events through photos fascinates her. “Exploring a new culture with its people, nature and objects and capturing those new and foreign experiences with my camera is a great pleasure.”

Katerina has chosen to be photographed with her sketching notebook which she calls “Wunderwelten & Dinge / Wonderlands & things”. Especially in her free time she tries to take it everywhere with her, so that she can sketch things she sees or feelings and atmospheres that she experiences while spending time somewhere new. Sometimes she enjoys flicking through the notebook because it makes her go back into the moments when she was drawing them, and it makes her think of the people she was there with.

People who are close to Lydia know that her love language is cooking for others or inviting them for a coffee. Plates, cutlery, glasses, and cups are probably the objects that are only a means to an end, but still maintain their relevance. For Lydia, it is these everyday objects that give us a certain sense of security which allows conversations, exchanges, and memories to arise.

Sarah’s bike is currently her main means of transportation. But the object she primarily wants to show is the small silver cyclist on the frame of her bike because of its story: As she was walking out of the library one day, she saw two women tampering with her bike. But then she realized that they were just putting the cyclist on her frame: They called themselves bikefairies. That day, this tiny object was a huge mood lifter and still today it is a source of joy.

Paula’s Bialetti keeps her making nice coffee for her flatmates and herself every day and she likes this one especially because of its unique shape. The great value of such personal objects usually comes to light to her when she loses them – that is, when she realizes how much she counted on them. And even though she can replace them, it will never feel quite the same.

Every now and then Belinda catches herself realizing that she grew fond of something. Mostly this piece then has accompanied her over a period of time. She either wore a piece of clothes or a shoe on specific occasions and made memories with it. Or it is a plant, picture frame, book or furniture, that, by its mere existence or the reaction it created on people, gave her apartment a special, cozy touch – just like this little citrus tree, that she bought on a rainy day, after she went grocery shopping.