Rosita Kaer: A Collector Sells Out

A Collector Sells Out contains conversations between artist Rosita Kær and her grandmother, weaver and textile researcher Karen-Hanne Stærmose Nielsen. It is a book about collecting and letting go, about reconstruction, mistakes and wear — craft, textile, friendship and kinship.

In 2018 Rosita and Karen-Hanne organised the exhibition A Collector Sells Out, in which Karen-Hanne’s collection of textiles and textile related objects were on show and for sale. As a consequence the collection, which consisted of more than 1500 objects, no longer belongs to Karen-Hanne. It has been dispersed, the objects have gotten new homes, and become part of new collections. Rosita and Karen-Hanne’s work on the exhibition started as a series of conversations that took place in Karen-Hanne’s study and has resulted in a strengthened friendship and a continued collaboration. The book consists of conversations which took place over a three year period, both before and after the exhibition. The conversations are about Karen-Hanne’s collection, her decision to let go of it, and her work, both as a weaver and researcher into prehistoric textiles. This combination of expertise was combined in Karen-Hanne’s reconstruction of a 3300 years old blouse, worn by the Skrydstrup woman in her grave. Moreover the conversations touch upon the decay of materials, making mistakes, wear and reparations, and the things as material carriers of memories. The book contains a selection of images running through it that show some of the unsold objects from the exhibition, scanned pages from Karen-Hanne’s archive book, her notes and work drawings.