Of This Place

with Rachel Jennings at DEMO Project February 2016

DEMO Project is housed in a building once inhabited by servants and groundskeepers. While visitors now see the space as a blank white canvas for art, it was originally a functioning living space. It had warmth, textiles, and human presence. This space is the perfect location for exploring the concepts of Of These Places in a site-responsive installation: Of This Place. The home shows wear and age and there are clear signs of neglect. Yet there is also a history to the "inconsequential" elements of the structure. We no longer see them because we are implicitly encouraged to look at elements brought into the space—specifically, the art the building now houses. I seek to remind us the building was not constructed to be a gallery. Built as a servants' home, it was converted to a caretakers' residence, and now is a donated gallery space slated for demolition. Always in service to a larger structure; this building was and remains a disposable appendage. It is by definition designed not to be seen. By highlighting these elements, I will draw out some of the structure's original characteristics—both physical and historical—and make it more than a backdrop. However, even these efforts will be fleeting. Once the show ends, the renderings will be destroyed and these elements will return to a state of unimportance, as new art objects are displayed.