“Things, Witnesses!” (also known as Amanuensis) is a kinetic installation of objects making drawings. It was selected for the Cyprus pavillion at the 54th Venice Biennale of Art in 2011. Originally presented in the divided city of Nicosia, Cyprus, the work explores how everyday objects are silent witnesses to human histories—especially in communities shaped by conflict.

The exhibition features inanimate objects—chairs, tables, and household items—suspended above palettes on the floor. Each object is fitted with a stylus and pencil. As visitors walk through the space they trigger motion detectors, and individual objects begin to oscillate gently – apparently drawing independently and producing unique images over the course of the exhibition.

The first iteration of this installation was exhibited at the Nicosia Municipal Art Centre, with support from the Pierides Foundation. Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots loaned a total of 24 objects for the show, each one dating from 1974 or earlier. The project challenges the idea that personal memory is singular, instead suggesting that memory may be embedded in material things. As Charlène Dinhut saw it, the objects testify to the plurality of Cypriot identity—one underpinned by political questions.

A sonic artwork, Sounds of Love and Loss was also developed from this installation.

Since its first exhibition in 2009, the work has been adapted for new contexts in Leipzig (2016) and Moscow (2015), using locally sourced furniture from communities with contested social and political histories. The drawings have been exhibited independently and are now part of both public and private international art collections.