#18 Object Talks: Founder of les objets communs on curating French objects
Learning about a place through everyday design
Welcome to Objectively #18! Object Talks is a sub-series on conversations with creatives who work with objects—such as makers, collectors, and curators—about their practice.
Today we have Wee Ling Soh, founder of les objets communs - the name translating into “common objects”.
The Instagram-based shop took my interest because of its focus on everyday objects from France, bringing attention to the intentional design of the vernacular.
Read on for what she discovered about heritage brands, why she always shares origin stories, and what happened when she tried cold-sourcing from a large manufacturer.
Wee Ling Soh is a self-taught writer and photographer interested in exploring the themes of identity, immigration and the diaspora through the lens of food. An accountant by training with a past life in consulting, Wee Ling had spent more than 10 years overseas, in China, Hong Kong and France.
Hi Wee Ling, can you share more about how les objets communs came about?
When I moved to Paris with my spouse years ago, I had no interest in France. This project grew out of an attempt to get to know my adopted home from the perspective of good design which I’ve always appreciated. At the same time, I was also disappointed by the state of souvenir shopping in France where tourists either buy big ticket made-in-France luxury items or inexpensive trinkets with French motifs that are mass-produced in other countries. I would like to think there exists a middle ground, that good heritage design is not an unaffordable luxury.
What’s one thing that you now understand differently since embarking on this project?
I thought I would be curating objects by French manufacturers. Turns out even for heritage brands, some of their products may not be made in France so now I tend to be more fastidious in my research. I also learnt there is a somewhat nationalistic Made in France movement where protectionists sadly focus on country of origin and neglect design. It seems pointless to me for consumers to buy products that are made in France for the sake of it when the design is not up to par and can’t stand up to competition internationally.
What is it like sourcing for these objects? Can you share an instance that stands out in your memory?
Maybe the time when I cold-contacted a big manufacturer to buy some of their products, not expecting replies but they did get back to me – and let me purchase at wholesale price even though I was only buying a very small quantity.
That’s cool! Looking through the feed, I see that you’ve added stories around the origins of the objects. Why is coming back to that important to you?
I’m drawn to the story behind brands and products – when, how, where they were made, and who designed them. As a consumer, I’m trying to make purchase decisions more thoughtfully. I want to support local businesses, big and small, with well-designed, unassuming products that have withstood the test of time.
What’s next for les objets communs?
A tiny brick-and-mortar shop in the most unsuspecting and mundane of places in Paris or Singapore? I jest. It’s probably more realistic to say I would love to travel more in France to uncover more regional makers and objects.
Before you go, who’s another curator or collector that you look to for inspiration?
My friend Ping who has a great eye for things. More importantly, I admire the fact that she knows exactly what she likes and keeps a very tight and pragmatic curation of objects in her home, from thoughtful purchases to found discarded items.
Images courtesy of Wee Ling Soh of les objets communs.
Objectively is a weekly series about our objects and the stories they tell. Leading with curiosity, the project views objects as an extension and embodiment of humanity, and hopes that exploring our relationship with them gives us new understandings of ourselves.
#19 is a Living with Objects feature with Michael Gillespie.
She didn’t intend for this to be given as a birthday gift, but when she found out it was my birthday she went into her bag and pulled this out.
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