Text by Michela Guasco
We all are collectors. We all keep objects in order to keep our memories of the past.
Ydessa Hendeles has collected 3000 photographs that only have in common the presence of a teddy bear, the quintessential transitional object for generations of children.
The amateur photographs, found mostly on eBay, are arranged in order of posture and social status and are framed and hung from floor to ceiling.
As the artist herself writes “The collection is a reflection of the values of society at the time the photographs were taken. It is notable not only for what it includes but for what is absent. Only one photograph of a child with Down Syndrome was discovered, and only one portrait of a child with a cleft palate.”
The project called ‘Partners (The Teddy Bear Project)’, spans in 2 rooms and is part of “The Keeper” the exhibition currently on view at The New Museum in New York.
