When I visited a museum, I was holding a pen and a notebook and was about to enter the exhibition space when I was told, 'Pens are not allowed in the exhibition space.' Instead, they offered me a pencil that the museum provided. Once I realised that writing itself wasn't prohibited, I was confused. When I asked why pens were banned but pencils were allowed, I was told, 'Because pens could damage the artworks.' In what way could pens damage works of art?

This incident led to the creation of the Pen/dant. When a writing instrument and a piece of jewellery both retain their individual functions and yet exist as one, how are they recognised and defined?

Later, I visited the museum again, wearing the Pen/dant. This time, I was allowed to enter the exhibition space without any issues. It was a small but satisfying victory — the moment I was able to enter the exhibition with my favourite pen, something I hadn’t been allowed to do before.