The thing about stuff
A book by Swedish writer Helena von Zweigbergk, who explores our relationship with belongings. Part journal, part scrap book, the project is done in collaboration with artist Cilla Ramnek and photographer Pia Ulin.
The design challenge was to package this quirky yet genuine archive of words and images into a comprehensible and digestible form.
Grejen med saker
The title of the book translates to “The thing about stuff” where Swedish writer Helena von Zweigbergk explores our relationship with belongings.
“We live in a bulimic culture. On the one hand, our commercial society ensures that we constantly feel dissatisfied and where the answers and satisfaction are BUY! On the other hand, it urges us to clean out and dispose of things. Where freedom from our belongings would mean a deeper human liberation. ”
The book is done in collaboration with stylist/artist Cilla Ramnek and photographer Pia Ulin who explore Helena’s home and possessions. Her personal items are investigated, sorted, rearranged and finally documented, and through this process start to take on new meaning. Images are captioned by Cilla Ramnek, and reflect on both the absurd and the meaning behind the things we collect.
The design challenge was to structure and package this quirky yet genuine archive of words and images into a comprehensible and accessible form. Part journal, part scrap book, the book is divided into two sections, the writing by Helena followed by the visual documentary by Cilla and Pia. Quotes pulled from the book’s narrative are combined with relevant images, allowing the reader to open up and enjoy the book at any point.
The scale of the book is modest and it is bound using a natural linen cloth. The cover image is hand-tipped in place and hot foil stamping is used on the cover, spine and back cover. Uncoated paper is used throughout offering a soft tactility to the book.