Europe Archive: Tracking Object Migration Across Europe

Artists Erik Kessels and Thomas Mailaender have launched Europe Archive, a mobile storage container mounted on a golden truck that travels across Europe collecting everyday objects from flea markets and landfills. The project aims to create a collective European memory by documenting the migration of objects—items that once defined local cultures but are now disappearing or moving to other countries. The archive includes handcrafted or repaired objects, items linked to conflicts (e.g., WWII postage stamps with defaced portraits), and found sculptures like a house made from a pot and cutlery in Belgium. The artists, known for reappropriation and working without cameras, have exhibited at MoMA, Tate Modern, V&A, Palais de Tokyo, and Forum NRW. The project began about 1.5 years ago but was delayed by the pandemic; events are planned in Germany and Hungary (European Capital of Culture 2023). The archive is also accessible online.