A collection of sculptures inspired by moments when we connect with other people, such as a park bench or a bus stop, where you can sit and chat or leave a memory.

Recollect is a collection of interactive sculptures designed by Kate Phillips to draw out memories and create moments of empathy and connection between people.

Each sculpture begins with a familiar object, such as a sofa, but shifts it slightly into something more playful and unexpected. Drawing on ideas of magical realism, the works sit somewhere between everyday furniture, memory prompt and participatory artwork.

Visitors are invited to stop, sit, interact with the sculptures and leave a memory of their own. Through simple acts of conversation, reflection and contribution, the works gradually become shaped by the people who encounter them, gathering memories and experiences over the course of Memory Library.

Rather than asking visitors simply to look at an artwork, Recollect creates situations in which memories can surface naturally and be shared. The sculptures are designed to encourage curiosity, openness and connection, using familiar objects as a way into personal stories and shared experience.

Part of Memory Library, 14–21 November 2026. Find out more here.

Artist Bio:

Kate Phillips is a contemporary multimedia artist whose practice begins with personal stories and explores their potential to resonate more widely. Her work spans collaborative projects and evolving investigations into memory, place and the relationship between personal and shared experience. In 2025, she was appointed artist-in-residence for the West Pier Trust, developing new work around family memory and the history of Brighton’s West Pier.

Photo credit: Thomas Buckley and Kate Phillips