It's happened to all of us. You're out for a day of shopping and, when you return home weary and laden with goodies, you realize you're missing a glove. Or you go to unlock your bike only to discover you no longer have your lock key.
Doesn't matter the item, the how, the why, the where, or the when. It's lost. And you can only hope that it will once again be found.
Amsterdammer and artist Annemarieke Weber makes it all the more likely that you and your possessions will be reunited with Findfence (Vindhek).
A perfect marriage of art and community, Findfence allows finders to return lost items and those missing items a chance to recover what they lost.
The first Findfence appeared in 2006 in Amsterdam's Vondel Park and attracts around ten thousand visitors per year. Now fences can also be found in Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek, Kinkerstraat, and Ijburg. There are also fences cropping up in other Dutch cities, such as Utrecht.
Since its inception, the Findfence concept has spread, not only in the Netherlands, but globally as well. Findfence has gotten attention from The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, several Dutch newspapers and broadcasters, and even in Japanese media.
These fences and kiosks come in all colours, shapes, and sizes, bearing the inscription: "Vind je verloren voorwerp terug * Voeg een gevonden voorwerp toe" (Get your lost item back * Add found items here). Each fence is adorned with decorated clips to pin up what you found in the hopes that it will be reunited with its rightful owner.
In addition to being colourful and vibrant in and of themselves, the Findfence structures are made all the more alluring by the wonderful and eclectic found objects. Dolls, gloves, scarves, keys, toys, blankets, jewelry, hats, backpacks, glasses, purses, shoes, books, identification cards, you name it, it's been on the fence.
But, truth be told, the best thing about Findfence is the beauty of people helping others and the sense of community built around these fences. And, who knows, perhaps the finders and the seekers may cross paths.
The next time you're in Amsterdam, check out one or more of the city's Findfences, whether you've found something, lost something, or just want to take a peek. For more information, visit the Findfence website, Twitter, and Facebook.
Photo credit: Flickr user Guido van Nispen
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