Zena Finlayson

The Forgotten Objects of Fort Lane

My design tells the story of forgotten objects of the space, the detritus and the minutiae. In a way, these objects represent the concealed histories of the site. Looking into vital materialism and bringing attention to the overlooked gives these objects a sense of agency. “Thing-power” is a word that I find relates to my project. Philosopher Jane Bennett uses it to mean ‘the curious ability of inanimate objects to animate, to act, to produce effects dramatic and subtle.’  The narrative I am telling of these objects is like a cinematic montage, with different aspects that, when strung together, tell a story. No matter how ephemeral, I was drawn to these objects because of the energy they exert that we tend to overlook. The emotions they put into the spaces they are in create a sort of empathy in me. This energy is what I explore and materialise in this project.