What drives us to hold on to certain objects? Is it their material worth, or is it the emotional connection we associate with them? When we speak about possessions that are dear to our hearts, we often describe them as being sentimentally valuable. Sentimental value, unlike material value, is deeply personal — it is rooted in our individual experiences, memories, and relationships, making it impossible to measure or compare in conventional terms. An object with sentimental value might be something physically broken or seemingly insignificant, yet it holds such profound meaning that we feel compelled to keep it, as a way of preserving the memory and history it represents.

What emotions do you feel when you see or hold this object?

Nina: I think a little bit of sadness – these letters carry bittersweetness in them. Yes, I will always keep them and feel excited to tell people about them, and I smile each time I open the box and flip through them, but I think in the end they do make me feel a bit sad. I think they remind me that my adolescence is getting further and further away from me – and I reminisce so much about it. I miss the careless summers and the careless trips – you know, before the real fear of consequences kicks in.

Please describe your chosen object to us.

Julia: My chosen object is a small, portable field recorder. It’s nothing particularly flashy, but it’s become central to how I interact with sound in my daily life. I carry it with me almost everywhere. It helps me capture textures, atmospheres, and sonic moments that often end up forming my music. Over time, it has become more than just a tool. It’s part of how I experience and listen to the world around me and how I turn that experience into something creative.

How did you first come to own this object?

Takeru: The actual reason why my friend made them for me comes from a bittersweet moment. I had bought a beautiful pair of leather gloves during a ski trip to Austria with my flatmate — we got matching ones, and I absolutely loved them. But during the chaos of Paris Fashion Week, I somehow lost mine. It hadn’t even been a few months since I bought them, and I was so upset — not just because I loved them, but because they were a little symbol of that trip with my flatmate. I tend to lose things a lot – laughs. My friend saw that and said she’d make me something even better — so she created a completely one-of-a-kind pair of gloves just for me, from scratch!

Photos: Trudi treble

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