Anne Gelpke

Nights with the Tolomeo…

”There are people who give their car, their refrigerator, even their vacuum cleaner a name. I have always wondered what qualifies these particular items for the distinction of being awarded a name. It must be assumed that it is shared experiences such as travelling with and without accidents or party nights together that create the personal relationship between the owner and the object. This means that car bodies are released from the mass anonymity of their model designations and are suddenly called Samson, Tweety or Fluffy. This idea never occurs to anyone when it comes to a table or chair. But if I were to search for objects in my life with which I am connected by intense experiences, then the Tolomeo would be in the top 5. We first met on 6 June 2005, my first day at work at DECO HOME. And she's been there ever since! For 12 years now. To start with, she was just on my desk in the office, but now she's moved into my home too. A true companion in exceptional situations. The witness to creativity and despair on long evenings when the copy deadline is looming and the final texts are being completed at the last minute in her light. Maybe I will give her a personal name sometime; after all, with all the hours we've spent together, she's earned it...”