As a child, Baptist Coelho was always attracted to factory-made toys.  Since these consumer-generated, bright and shiny play-things weren’t accessible to him, his world became one of hand-made objects and their bare simplicity fuelled his imagination.  The site-specific installation, Finally found my room full of toys, is a recollection of this time of childhood innocence and creativity.  Paper airplanes are arranged methodically on the floor; as if to defy gravity, and are accompanied by familiar sounds that evoke memories of the past.  When viewers enter the space, they are invited on a journey of discovery and self-reflection.

This installation has been a revelation to the artist.  As a child, paper airplanes could not hold a comparison to the ‘real’ toys in stores and advertisements; but as an adult, Baptist Coelho reflects back and discovers how those simple airplanes were just as significant as any other toy and how they filled his days with great joy and curiosity.  Through the construction of this work, the artist realized that this experience of making paper airplanes represented a universal symbol of a child’s need to play, learn and experience the environment around him.  The recurring audio-track, depicting the sounds of dynamic air and the melody from a child’s music box, encourages the viewer to contemplate and imagine how these unique, hand-constructed, pieces of paper could take flight.  When these uncomplicated and fragile airplanes are contrasted with children’s electronic games of today, one wonders if the precious gift of the imagination has been lost.