The practice of collecting is very widespread and responds to diverse motivations: anthropological, sociological, and psychological. Often approached from the angle of hoarding, rarity, prestige, capitalism, or speculation, and thus linked to financial resources that condition it, this activity is nonetheless not limited to these aspects. The practice of collecting is also surrounded by misunderstandings and an ambivalent reputation: sometimes valued, sometimes perceived as a mental disorder, or even reduced to contempt.
This workshop will raise the question of modest, non-scientific, and even intangible collecting: poems, songs, stories, etc. Collecting is also the subject of a narrative. We will begin with a contextualization of related concepts such as series, collection, gathering, accumulation, and scavenging. Participants will benefit from a historical overview of practices and the history of thought, drawing especially on the works of Agnès Varda, Gérard Wajcman, Amadou Hampâté Bâ, and Frances A. Yates.
Participants will share and present their own collections, even if they are still in their early stages in terms of quantity, to reflect on the criteria and categories that constitute them. The presentation will take the form of a showcase of their work, which will be exhibited, shared, or performed during the oral presentation day and in dialogue with an external person.
The workshop will explore the modest collection, non-scientific or even intangible: poems, songs, stories, etc. Collecting is also surrounded by misunderstandings and a mixed reputation: sometimes valued, sometimes seen as a mental illness or even dismissed. This session will focus on personal collections, no matter how small, to reflect the criteria and categories that make them up. Participants will share their own collections and discuss what defines these items historically, drawing on works by Agnès Varda, Gérard Wajcman, Amadou Hampâté Bâ, and Frances A. Yates.
The evaluation will be based on participation over the five days, active involvement including final presentations, and an oral presentation of the work after it has been displayed or performed.
# fr: Ambroise Tièche – HEAD – Genève
The evaluation is based on participation in the five days of the workshop, on the degree of active engagement of the participant-e-x, including during the final presentations, and on an oral presentation of the work following its placement /diffusion/performance.