Hannelore Baron’s found object wooden box assemblages look like they’ve experienced wear and tear because her family and their shop experienced the trauma of Kristallnacht, and Baron considered worn or splintered items items that have survived and prevailed.

Hannelore Baron’s sculptural hodgepodges—assembled from wood scraps, personal belongings, and other refuse—reflect the losses she experienced as a child during Hitler’s regime: before her family escaped Germany, their textile shop was destroyed and their home ransacked during Kristallnacht.

"Hannelore Baron's delicate, scorched-looking Wunderkammern feel as though they were salvaged from hell..."

Object Lessons: The New Museum Explore Why We Keep Things 

Curators at the New Museum have created an exhibit with over 4,000 objects that examines the carious wats we collect and own items.

By: William L. Hamilton