The House Is Burning!
While visiting this excellent exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery here in London over the weekend, I was reminded of the extraordinary value we give to objects. If you heard your flatmate screaming `the house is burning!´ and had to rush out, how valuable would they actually be?
There is this website, which a friend has mentioned to me, where people post pictures of objects they would actually like to take with them in case of a fire. They are really interesting, as one can guess bits of people´s personality, much in the same way as in the exhibition that I mentioned above.
The objects exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery belonged to professional women late thirties-mid forties living in different areas in the world. Some of them were pretty much the usual things, but we wouldn´t really think of them when fleeing a fire. That is, wallet, pictures/ postcards, some make-up, etc.
I wondered how many of those things we carry on our bags or pockets would we actually choose to carry or regret not to have carried with us if we heard `the house is burning!´.
I would regret to leave behind:
- My laptop;
- Some of my books;
- Camera;
- Phone charger;
- Passport;
- Contacts case;
- A scarf, if it is not warm enough;
- Some pictures and other objects given to my by friends and family.
- My bag (with my mobile phone, purse, a pen, house and office keys, a book and some other bits and pieces);
- My coat.
Among many things… I think I would take lots of pictures, some books i love, my camera and laptop and my grandma’s ring (the one that’s been in the century for decades and that she gave me before she died)… And lots of other things, but i doubt i’d have enough time! 😉
I know! It would be a shame,but it is hard to go find stuff when we need to rush and save our lives.