CAST-OFF. Forgotten Everyday Objects and Their Stories

7th July to 27th October 2022

Over the years, all sorts of practical and cherished objects have
become part of our daily lives. An average household accumulates
around 10,000 objects – and, in light of our increasingly mobile
and fast-paced lives, we often own them in multiple iterations
so they’re always to hand. How many things we actually need is
something only we can answer. However, in an era of resource
scarcity and scepticism towards exponential growth, this question
is taking on a more urgent note.

A hundred years ago, people had far fewer possessions. An
average family in Germany owned about 180 things. These were
cherished and cared for, patched and mended, loved, appreciated,
and often passed down from generation to generation.
Using discarded everyday objects from the past 100 years, the
exhibition explores the question how and why our relationship to
things has changed: from household items, work tools, and home
decor, to not-so-state-of-the-art gadgets and fashion. Some
objects evoke nostalgic memories of our childhoods and youth,
others resemble bizarre curiosities from a long-forgotten age.

The exhibited objects are part of the Stadtmuseum’s collection
or on loan from museums and institutions in Trier and the region
and from private individuals.