Bringing to mind sepia stained paper scrolls with torn and frayed edges, “x marks the spot”, and Goonie-esque quests rife with booby traps - the word ‘treasure’ is loaded with fantasy and desire. Legends and lore of buried chests, lost hoards of gold and jewels, or ancient relics that have never been recovered - the concept of treasure continues to captivate the minds of many across generational and social gaps. But treasure can be a troubling thing - its extraction, ownership, and use are at the heart of contemporary global debates about existence on a planet in crisis. In this talk I will explore the tenderness of everyday treasure, both as a verb and a noun. Using my art practice as a reference point I’ll discuss how the act of treasuring in the context of daily life can subvert assumed or accepted hierarchies of value. And ask how our individual ways of treasuring can stretch out into broader contexts and forms of care?
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