We visited Jill Tsai at the Travel Things Museum storage unit, to ask some quick-fire questions. Here's what she had to say.
How many objects make up the Travel Things Museum?
Just over 10,000.
What’s the most recent addition?
Tumbleweed. When I travelled to Cyprus in wintertime, there were these tumbleweeds everywhere. And they're as tall as you. 5'9 tumbleweed.
What makes a museum?
As a Pop-up Museum, we don’t meet the traditional definition. We’re open to the public, but we have no fixed address. But to me, a museum is a collection of anything, made by anyone, as long as it aims to be shared.
What is your first memory of an everyday object?
A small pillow in my grandmother’s house. Every summer I went there, it was waiting for me.
What’s one everyday object you can’t live without?
A parasol.
The world is divided into collectors and curators, which are you?
Curator. It’s more active. And I like that the word ‘cure’ is hidden within it.
If you could change one thing about the design industry, what would it be?
So many things exist already. If we’re making new, it should be something society really needs.
And finally, can you tell me about this cow-shaped object which perfectly matches the yellow storage unit walls?
It’s a stool for grating coconut. They use the serrated mouth for grating, and the horns to crack the nut. Can you see here where the wood has discoloured from the sugar? To us it’s genius, but to the guy who made it, it’s a necessary tool.