Mette Saabye: A Boat is a Boat…Is a Boat a Boat?

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Mette Saabye

In this body of work, Mette Saabye, a Danish jewellery artist, created 23 pieces of jewellery to represent memories of 23 different people. Each person was instrumental in the outcome of each piece as they were asked to describe in writing a personal association, memory or experience with a boat, and also to document the type of boat in sketches or pictures. Based on the information given, Mette created a piece of jewellery for each person. The result is the representation of 23 different conceptions of the same physical thing; a boat.

As the title suggests, a boat is a boat; a specific type of object in the world of physical things. But as it is added, the boat is never the same. Memories, associations, longings and personal interpretations create an almost nostalgic atmosphere that suddenly invests the anonymous designation ‘boat’ with a striking authenticity.