{"id":61,"date":"2025-01-03T15:22:24","date_gmt":"2025-01-03T15:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/?page_id=61"},"modified":"2025-04-04T11:32:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T11:32:48","slug":"esme-at-ikea","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/portfolio\/esme-at-ikea\/","title":{"rendered":"I am Esme and live at IKEA &#8211; Exploring Imperfection in a Perfect World &#8211; A Dialogue on Consumer Culture and Identity"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"61\" class=\"elementor elementor-61\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26fa653b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"26fa653b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-59518a5b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"59518a5b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c4f7b60 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-nav-menu--stretch elementor-nav-menu__align-start elementor-nav-menu--dropdown-tablet elementor-nav-menu__text-align-aside elementor-nav-menu--toggle elementor-nav-menu--burger elementor-widget elementor-widget-nav-menu\" data-id=\"6c4f7b60\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;layout&quot;:&quot;vertical&quot;,&quot;full_width&quot;:&quot;stretch&quot;,&quot;submenu_icon&quot;:{&quot;value&quot;:&quot;&lt;svg class=\\&quot;e-font-icon-svg e-fas-caret-down\\&quot; viewBox=\\&quot;0 0 320 512\\&quot; xmlns=\\&quot;http:\\\/\\\/www.w3.org\\\/2000\\\/svg\\&quot;&gt;&lt;path d=\\&quot;M31.3 192h257.3c17.8 0 26.7 21.5 14.1 34.1L174.1 354.8c-7.8 7.8-20.5 7.8-28.3 0L17.2 226.1C4.6 213.5 13.5 192 31.3 192z\\&quot;&gt;&lt;\\\/path&gt;&lt;\\\/svg&gt;&quot;,&quot;library&quot;:&quot;fa-solid&quot;},&quot;toggle&quot;:&quot;burger&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"nav-menu.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<nav aria-label=\"Menu\" class=\"elementor-nav-menu--main elementor-nav-menu__container elementor-nav-menu--layout-vertical e--pointer-underline e--animation-fade\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul id=\"menu-1-6c4f7b60\" class=\"elementor-nav-menu sm-vertical\"><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home menu-item-51\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">Home<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-50\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/portfolio\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">Portfolio<\/a>\n<ul class=\"sub-menu elementor-nav-menu--dropdown\">\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-97\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/portfolio\/hearbeat-of-the-world\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\">New! Heartbeat of the World<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-93\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/portfolio\/on-order-and-chaos-tractor-theatre\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\">On Order and Chaos \u2013 A Live Research with Tractors<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-95\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/portfolio\/everdina-nellie-caravan\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\">Everdina, Nellie and the Caravan \u2013 A Community Art Project<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-94\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/portfolio\/esme-at-ikea\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\">I am Esme and live at IKEA \u2013 Exploring Imperfection in a Perfect World \u2013 A Dialogue on Consumer Culture and Identity<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-53\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/meet-yanthe\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">About<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-52\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/contact\/\" class=\"elementor-item\">Contact<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t<\/nav>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-toggle\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Menu Toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"elementor-menu-toggle__icon--open e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-menu-bar\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M104 333H896C929 333 958 304 958 271S929 208 896 208H104C71 208 42 237 42 271S71 333 104 333ZM104 583H896C929 583 958 554 958 521S929 458 896 458H104C71 458 42 487 42 521S71 583 104 583ZM104 833H896C929 833 958 804 958 771S929 708 896 708H104C71 708 42 737 42 771S71 833 104 833Z\"><\/path><\/svg><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"elementor-menu-toggle__icon--close e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-close\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M742 167L500 408 258 167C246 154 233 150 217 150 196 150 179 158 167 167 154 179 150 196 150 212 150 229 154 242 171 254L408 500 167 742C138 771 138 800 167 829 196 858 225 858 254 829L496 587 738 829C750 842 767 846 783 846 800 846 817 842 829 829 842 817 846 804 846 783 846 767 842 750 829 737L588 500 833 258C863 229 863 200 833 171 804 137 775 137 742 167Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<nav class=\"elementor-nav-menu--dropdown elementor-nav-menu__container\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul id=\"menu-2-6c4f7b60\" class=\"elementor-nav-menu sm-vertical\"><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home menu-item-51\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Home<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-has-children menu-item-50\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/portfolio\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Portfolio<\/a>\n<ul class=\"sub-menu elementor-nav-menu--dropdown\">\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-97\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/portfolio\/hearbeat-of-the-world\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">New! Heartbeat of the World<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-93\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/portfolio\/on-order-and-chaos-tractor-theatre\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">On Order and Chaos \u2013 A Live Research with Tractors<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-95\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/portfolio\/everdina-nellie-caravan\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Everdina, Nellie and the Caravan \u2013 A Community Art Project<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-94\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/portfolio\/esme-at-ikea\/\" class=\"elementor-sub-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">I am Esme and live at IKEA \u2013 Exploring Imperfection in a Perfect World \u2013 A Dialogue on Consumer Culture and Identity<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-53\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/meet-yanthe\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">About<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-52\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/index.php\/contact\/\" class=\"elementor-item\" tabindex=\"-1\">Contact<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t<\/nav>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-74f6819a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"74f6819a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b86f0d8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1b86f0d8\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-63e1dcb2 elementor-hidden-mobile elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"63e1dcb2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">I am Esm\u00e9 \u2013 And I live in IKEA<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-66960ce0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"66960ce0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 style=\"line-height: 1.4;\"><strong>She\u2019s there, but you won\u2019t find her<\/strong><\/h1><p>Esm\u00e9 lives in IKEA. She moves unseen, leaving only traces behind. But something strange happens\u2014the more you look, the more you start to see her.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5a29d66 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5a29d66\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d63a645 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d63a645\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-17-van-73-768x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-178\" alt=\"A child\u2019s slipper left in the parking lot, measured with IKEA precision. Esm\u00e9\u2019s archive of the inexplicable grows.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-17-van-73-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-17-van-73-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-17-van-73-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-17-van-73-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-17-van-73-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5f67ec03 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5f67ec03\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5eca6a79 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"5eca6a79\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c2f7de e-grid e-con-full e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1c2f7de\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-494dec6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"494dec6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>A Story Unfolding in a Place of Order<\/strong><\/h2><h3 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">\u00a0<\/h3><h3 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>What started as an experiment turned into a rare shift inside a global company. Esm\u00e9\u2019s presence was first a mystery, then a conversation, and finally a shared reality.<\/strong><\/h3><h3><strong>Her intervention was subtle yet undeniable. From handwritten notes and small weck jars scattered through the store to a hidden video inside a drawer\u2014each element invited visitors and employees alike to step out of their routine and into her world.<\/strong><\/h3><h3><strong>For months, Esm\u00e9 wandered unseen through IKEA, testing the boundaries between fiction and reality, regulations and creativty.<\/strong><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5617814 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5617814\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-16-van-23-768x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-177\" alt=\"Three jars placed on the IKEA;s store\u2019s floor plan, each holding traces of Esm\u00e9\u2019s silent interventions\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-16-van-23-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-16-van-23-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-16-van-23-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-16-van-23-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/yanthe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Esme-16-van-23-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ca2fdea elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ca2fdea\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>\u00a0<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-747827a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"747827a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>\u00a0<\/h4><h4>\u00a0<\/h4><h4>\u00a0<\/h4><h3>But as Esm\u00e9 won hearts, the impossible became reality. <strong>A fully furnished bedroom, created just for her by employees who had come to embrace her presence.<\/strong><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f62ebdf e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"f62ebdf\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4586719 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4586719\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><strong>The Traces She Left Behind<\/strong><\/h2><h3>Visitors could follow her journey on altered IKEA floor plans. They wrote her letters, leaving them at a designated desk. Some found forgotten objects on the parking lot, which she collected and preserved in jars\u2014a quiet commentary on what is abandoned and what is kept.<\/h3><h3>One of her most striking interventions? Two IKEA Lack tables, deconstructed and stored inside 156 weck jars, forever preserved as a fragmented version of perfection.<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b852b30 elementor--h-position-center elementor--v-position-middle elementor-arrows-position-inside elementor-pagination-position-inside elementor-widget elementor-widget-slides\" data-id=\"b852b30\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;navigation&quot;:&quot;both&quot;,&quot;autoplay&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;pause_on_hover&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;pause_on_interaction&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;autoplay_speed&quot;:5000,&quot;infinite&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;transition&quot;:&quot;slide&quot;,&quot;transition_speed&quot;:500}\" data-widget_type=\"slides.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-slides-wrapper elementor-main-swiper swiper\" role=\"region\" aria-roledescription=\"carousel\" aria-label=\"Slides\" dir=\"ltr\" data-animation=\"fadeInUp\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-wrapper elementor-slides\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-repeater-item-f509541 swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\"><div class=\"swiper-slide-bg elementor-ken-burns elementor-ken-burns--in\" role=\"img\"><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide-inner\" ><div class=\"swiper-slide-contents\"><div class=\"elementor-slide-heading\">A video hidden in a drawer<\/div><div class=\"elementor-slide-description\">Hidden in a drawer, a video. The camera rolls from inside a cart. Esm\u00e9\u2019s journey, from aisle to aisle.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"elementor-repeater-item-bf55da0 swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\"><div class=\"swiper-slide-bg elementor-ken-burns elementor-ken-burns--in\" role=\"img\"><\/div><div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide-inner\" ><div class=\"swiper-slide-contents\"><div class=\"elementor-slide-heading\">Misplaced<\/div><div class=\"elementor-slide-description\"> A pan in a wrong room. Out of context, or exactly as intended?<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"elementor-repeater-item-2dcfef4 swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\"><div class=\"swiper-slide-bg elementor-ken-burns elementor-ken-burns--in\" role=\"img\"><\/div><div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide-inner\" ><div class=\"swiper-slide-contents\"><div class=\"elementor-slide-heading\">Her desk<\/div><div class=\"elementor-slide-description\">Quietly waiting. A single notebook, always closed - until now.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"elementor-repeater-item-fe7e968 swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\"><div class=\"swiper-slide-bg elementor-ken-burns elementor-ken-burns--in\" role=\"img\"><\/div><div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide-inner\" ><div class=\"swiper-slide-contents\"><div class=\"elementor-slide-heading\">Her pages<\/div><div class=\"elementor-slide-description\">Inside: pages marked by Esm\u00e9\u2019s hand. Scattered thoughts, a looping signature. Clues?<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"elementor-repeater-item-9db155e swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\"><div class=\"swiper-slide-bg elementor-ken-burns elementor-ken-burns--in\" role=\"img\"><\/div><div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide-inner\" ><div class=\"swiper-slide-contents\"><div class=\"elementor-slide-heading\">Traces sealed in a jar<\/div><div class=\"elementor-slide-description\">A car, its rear light shattered. The shard, found in the parking lot. Now sealed in a jar, alongside the photo she left behind.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"elementor-repeater-item-295dea6 swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\"><div class=\"swiper-slide-bg elementor-ken-burns elementor-ken-burns--in\" role=\"img\"><\/div><div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide-inner\" ><div class=\"swiper-slide-contents\"><div class=\"elementor-slide-heading\">Traces<\/div><div class=\"elementor-slide-description\">More jars, carefully placed. Each one a fragment, each one a presence. IKEA, rearranged.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"elementor-repeater-item-6a84562 swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\"><div class=\"swiper-slide-bg elementor-ken-burns elementor-ken-burns--in\" role=\"img\"><\/div><div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide-inner\" ><div class=\"swiper-slide-contents\"><div class=\"elementor-slide-heading\">Esm\u00e9\u2019s swing<\/div><div class=\"elementor-slide-description\">High above the warehouse floor, an IKEA employee uses a lift to hang Esm\u00e9\u2019s swing.\nIn an unexpected gesture of involvement, staff went out of their way to support her presence. The swing, visible from the upper-floor windows, became a surreal marker of her quiet influence.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"elementor-repeater-item-ec92e84 swiper-slide\" role=\"group\" aria-roledescription=\"slide\"><div class=\"swiper-slide-bg elementor-ken-burns elementor-ken-burns--in\" role=\"img\"><\/div><div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div><div class=\"swiper-slide-inner\" ><div class=\"swiper-slide-contents\"><div class=\"elementor-slide-heading\">My workplace at IKEA<\/div><div class=\"elementor-slide-description\">A private workroom. Unexpected access. A pass of trust \u2014 or infiltration?<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-prev\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Previous slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-chevron-left\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M646 125C629 125 613 133 604 142L308 442C296 454 292 471 292 487 292 504 296 521 308 533L604 854C617 867 629 875 646 875 663 875 679 871 692 858 704 846 713 829 713 812 713 796 708 779 692 767L438 487 692 225C700 217 708 204 708 187 708 171 704 154 692 142 675 129 663 125 646 125Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-swiper-button elementor-swiper-button-next\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Next slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-chevron-right\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M696 533C708 521 713 504 713 487 713 471 708 454 696 446L400 146C388 133 375 125 354 125 338 125 325 129 313 142 300 154 292 171 292 187 292 204 296 221 308 233L563 492 304 771C292 783 288 800 288 817 288 833 296 850 308 863 321 871 338 875 354 875 371 875 388 867 400 854L696 533Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-pagination\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f1783d6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f1783d6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>\u00a0<\/h3><h2><strong>Did She Ever Leave?<\/strong><\/h2><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3>Esm\u00e9 never truly left. Months later, her bedroom remained untouched. IKEA employees whispered about her, and traces of her journey still linger. She was fiction\u2014yet she became real.<\/h3><p>I am Esme &#8211; And I Live in IKEA, conversations, 15 installations,<br \/>3 video installations, about 170 weckjars, Esme&#8217;s journal, photo&#8217;s, altered IKEA floorplans<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I am Esm\u00e9 \u2013 And I live in IKEA She\u2019s there, but you won\u2019t find her Esm\u00e9 lives in IKEA. She moves unseen, leaving only traces behind. But something strange happens\u2014the more you look, the more you start to see her. A Story Unfolding in a Place of Order \u00a0 What started as an experiment [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":45,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-61","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Esme IKEA art project - A Playful Artistic Intervention<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A poetic intervention at IKEA: Esm\u00e9 leaves subtle traces, objects in jars, and playful disruptions. 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