Checked Baggage, first published in 2004, is one of two graduation projects by Christien Mendeltsma at the Design Academy Eindhoven. The book covers all the items confiscated from travelers at Schiphol Airport during a week. Everything from children's cutlery to potato knives, hairdresser's scissors to nail clippers was confiscated.
Through this project, Mendeltsma tried to visually show the absurdity of having personal belongings confiscated in an era of heightened security. In 2004, 1,000 books were published, and for each one sold, the original confiscated item was handed over to the purchaser. In 2006, two years after its publication, it was introduced in The Photobook: A History VOLUME II, which summarizes the history of photography books by Martin Parr, and has become one of the books that has been highly acclaimed all over the world. Mendelzma kept 1843 volumes of "confiscations", so this second and final edition of this art piece is 1843 volumes. Each book has one of the confiscated items wrapped in shrink wrap. All the confiscated items included are different. The one copy for sale here is shown in the first slide.
350 pages
softcover
200 x 140 mm
9784990717377
2nd and last edition of 1843
2022
