Unfinished Fragments: Holding Onto the Fleeting Self
I have never thought that my travel records should take a certain finished form. Instead, I simply scribbled to keep the fleeting moments from slipping away, to hold onto the version of myself that existed in that very second.
However, after seeing a certain exhibition, a thought suddenly crossed my mind. Specifically, I wondered what if I had been more conscious of ‘building’ these records into something meaningful a bit earlier? Consequently, I felt a lingering regret that these traces could have provided a much richer and more solid foundation for my work as a designer and a planner.
The Invisible People in Polished Frames
Furthermore, I find it hard to connect with travelogues on social media even now. To be sure, users fill these platforms with neatly organized photos, flawless compositions, and perfect colors. Yet, strangely enough, I don’t “meet” anyone in them. In other words, these images fail to reveal the sensibilities of the people who passed through those places or what exactly made them stop in their tracks.
For this reason, I keep writing. I do not write to provide information or to be useful to others; rather, I record solely for myself. Ultimately, my writing allows me to see what I was looking at, what I lingered on, and to discover what kind of person I am.
The Living Breath of Old Notebooks
Admittedly, I have considered throwing away my old notebooks many times. Nevertheless, every time I decide to clear out these seemingly meaningless piles of paper, I find myself flipping through the pages. Then, strangely, the records instantly transport me back. I feel the air, the temperature, and even the subtle moods of that day once again. In fact, these scribbles feel more vivid than any well-taken photograph. As a result, I still cannot let them go.
In short, perhaps we all cherish the act of capturing and ruminating on memories in our own unique way.
You can find more of my travel records in [Private Curation: A Journey Through Collected Paper] ➔ ➔
[COMPANY World Affair]: From a Point of Discovery to an Object
The recent exhibition [COMPANY World Affair] at Piknic transformed these reflections on my ‘records’ into concrete inspiration. COMPANY, a Helsinki-based design studio, has spent the past two decades traveling the world in search of unique manufacturing traditions and local artisans. For them, travel was not merely moving from one place to another; it was a “World Affair”—a process of deeply engaging and falling in love with the world itself. ➔ ➔
The witty and sensible spaces and objects I encountered were the results of the artists’ unique perspectives discovered during their travels, brought to life through collaboration with local master artisans. To reveal and introduce such personal treasures to the world as an artist—how thrilling that process must have been.
That joy was palpable throughout the exhibition. Resonating with that excitement, I felt as if my five senses were awakened, completing a small journey of my own. From the deep forests of Finland to the vibrant markets of Pakistan, seeing their collected wisdom and spirituality reinterpreted through a contemporary lens gave me hope: perhaps my own scribbled records could one day manifest into something with its own “physicality” and presence.