People close to me
I was looking for nothing particular on ebay classifieds and hit enter by accident. An empty search was performed within a distance of five kilometers from my location and an extensive list of pictures and short descriptions appeared. Most ads had a title, a cryptic name of the seller, few displayed a telephone number, but most wanted to be contacted through a form. Prices of the first hundred offers ranged from 3 to 49.999 Euro.
Digital technology allows us to connect to other people regardless where we are. You can choose among numerous applications, specify criteria, like, follow, archive and get in touch. Often the identity of users is hidden or incomplete as if it does not really matter. Even if my empty search was carried out accidentally, it felt strange to be able to connect to unknown people only because of physical proximity.
The possible link between me and them was the object they wanted to sell and I did not want. Images showed things, belongings, personal objects which were not longer needed. Some pictures were carefully composed others incidentally snapped. Objects depicted could be viewed endlessly and sometimes allowed an intimate view in the private spaces of the sellers. They were personal objects of the analogue world digitized to change the owner and their location.
All items had their own stories and the wholeness of items displayed told some story about the place where I live. I wondered, if the same or a comparable list could appear anywhere in the world. Or if the stories behind the items would be that different in other places. If you are not looking for anything, you will be surprised (or intimidated) about the quantity and diverseness of existing things not longer needed. Some objects are common and easily to classify, while others remain unclear and even mysterious.
I started to identify objects on the list or assigned a function or use to the them. I covered the price tag and evaluated how much I would expect it to be worth or I would pay for it. With the little information provided, it was sometimes impossible to determine a value. Gathering all information displayed in an advert, I was starting to imagine the potential age, sex, character, physiognomy and living space of the owner. This became more fun, when I reversed the game assigning the least likely combination of features to the sellers just to get rid of my prejudices and stereotypical view of the world.
People selling goods by posting and image and giving a description do in fact reveal more. An extensive detailed description of a car exhibited that the owner still admires it. A father selling the carrera track of his youth disappointed by the neglect of his sons who prefer video games. Educational advices to prevent us from making tyrants of our children (or ourselves) and the invisible effect of their application to real life (not depicted). A batman costume worn with pride but not fitting anymore reminding us of our own gone heroes. Front letters from the war trying to tell what cannot be told. A broken headset without use but still able to reimburse a minimal value for material components. A book about love which might had been a good read but convinced the reader, the topic needs to be practiced in real life.
Closer inspection of the items assured I had no need for them. However, the border between the visible and the invisible opened up some possibilities. Connecting through technology by accident brought me in the position between things and humans, personal belongings and values, being close and distant at the same time and to add my own view and fiction.