The Bureau of Suspended Objects at CJM: New Objects

This book accompanies "The Bureau of Suspended Objects" installation at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, opening January 28. The objects in this book correspond to the first section of the display: new items recently purchased from large stores such as Walmart, Target, Big Lots, and Hobby Lobby. These objects function as blank receptacles, waiting to be invested with meaning. One can perhaps imagine a child growing up with one of these items resting on the mantle, and the ineffable nostalgic quality the object would later take on for that person. Some of these objects are in fact designed preemptively for nostalgia, with faux-antique finishes and references to older products.