The Visit

The Visit was a creative project that explored the personal stories connected to everyday possessions. Presented as an interactive art installation, it featured four rooms, each representing a significant person in my life. The rooms were filled with carefully chosen items that reflected their personality, history, and the moments we’ve shared.

Each space invited visitors to step into these stories and reflect on the deeper meaning behind seemingly ordinary objects. From a grandparent’s treasured belongings to items that capture fleeting relationships, the project examined how possessions can hold memories, emotions, and connections to the past and present.

Originally created as my A-level final project, The Visit delves into the emotional and symbolic role of objects in our lives. Now, as a student studying consumer behaviour and marketing, it’s fascinating to reflect on how this early exploration of possessions aligns with academic concepts I’m learning, such as Russell Belk’s idea of possessions as part of the “extended self.” In retrospect, the project’s focus on how objects connect to identity and memory ties closely to Belk’s perspective on how what we own becomes a reflection of who we are.

Through The Visit, I hoped to explore how possessions tell stories—both personal and universal—and now, I can see how these ideas also influence consumer behaviour, branding, and marketing. It’s a reminder that the objects we choose, buy, and hold onto are deeply tied to our sense of self and how we present ourselves to the world.