A loose narrative of possessions, loss, and fragmented history unfolds within Florence Foerderer Tonner’s bedroom. A poet and artist, a collector and benefactor, Florence assumed many roles over time, leaving traces of self within the accumulations of the estate.

In this installation, large-scale ink paintings filled the paneled recesses of the period room, connecting the preserved interior to the cucumber magnolia tree on the grounds of Glen Foerd. This immense tree is estimated to be over 150 years old and may be nearing the end of its own life cycle.

The project builds on research conducted during an artist residency and incorporates Florence Foerderer Tonner’s artwork, poetry, artifacts, and correspondence, interwoven with contemporary poetry, inquiries into the nature of collecting, ideas of excess, and the sympathetic magic of artifact.