Archive of Possible Loss

In ‘Archive of a Possible Loss’, Tine Hens goes in search of what is gradually slipping away from us in a rapidly changing world. She travels to landscapes under pressure – melting glaciers, depleted fields – and observes the animals and plants that are losing their habitats, such as the once so familiar lark. Along the way, she submerges herself in her own memory, where the old abundance still resonates.

In twelve chapters, Hens interweaves personal experiences with sharp observations on biodiversity, climate, and the fragile place of humans in that greater whole. She writes about animals, plants and environments that were once taken for granted: lapwings, eels, elms, cornflowers, snow. What are we in danger of losing unless we transform the destruction of living things into restoration and care?

Hens’ quest is not a sombre catalogue of what has vanished but an invitation to look more attentively, listen more closely, and start caring again. She explores how grief and hope can coexist, and how naming pain can create space for responsibility.

‘Archive of Possible Loss’ is an intimate and timely book about what is at stake in our rapidly evolving world. It is both a recipe for wonder and a bulwark against forgetting. Above all, it nourishes a deep love for the life that surrounds us.

Composer Ellen Jacobs has created a unique soundtrack based on the sounds that fit with the twelve chapters, accessible via a QR code in the book. The book is also accompanied by an exhibition that will travel from city to city over the course of a year.