The Collection of fears and desires

Performance in public space 

The Collection of Fears and Desires is a long-running participatory research project in public space, uncovering what drives us as humans on a universal and collective level. Sitting at a small table on the street, Roos van Geffen asks random passers-by: What is your greatest desire? What is your deepest fear? She has been asking these two questions to people all over the world for more than 20 years. The answers are typed on a card, along with the date, age, occupation, and place of residence. The person answering remains anonymous.

This growing archive contains thousands of written and typed cards, printed emails, and video recordings of interviews about fears and desires, recorded since 2000 in locations including Den Bosch, the USA, Maastricht, London, Terschelling, Enschede, Cardiff, Amsterdam, Almere, Swansea, and Denbigh.

Roos van Geffen: “This collection began organically in 2000, out of pure curiosity. At first, I only collected desires; later, during a trip through America, I began including fears as well. Sometimes I conducted interviews or filmed people talking about their fears and desires. It was the starting point of my artistic practice, and I still sit down behind my typewriter every now and then. Initially, I only asked others about their fears and desires, but over the years, my art became more personal and intimate, focusing on my own experiences. Yet, the core remains unchanged: a deep fascination with what drives people and how feelings, history, and experiences nestle within the body and can be set in motion.”

Exhibition view of The collection of fears and desires. The collection of fears and desires contains thousands written or typed cards, printed emails and video taped interviews.