The Home Project
In 2023, I had the idea of working about the subject of 'HOME'. It started with myself,how I tried to come to terms with where my home is. I moved to the Uk in 2006 and I wasn't sure if Germany was still my home somehow, or was my chosen country and moer so, Portland, my home? I started to wonder about other people feel about it. Do they still consider the country they were born in as their home? Or do they feel home in their new place? What does home mean at all?
Here are my initial thoughts: What does HOME mean?
1. Home can mean environmental and cultural experiences and their impact on our being, our perception, our way of thinking, our behaviour and our relationships.
2 .It can mean a place where our needs are met, from the most basic ones, like shelter and food to love and security.
3. It can mean memories and fantasies which influence our present being.
4. It can mean a sense of identity, belonging, from a small circle like family and friends to town, country, religion, culture, earth.
I found some answers from people who were asked what home means for them:
“Anywhere my kids are.”
“Where I can be naked, both emotionally and physically”.
“Anywhere my husband is. “You’re My Home” is an old Billy Joel song, and that is what is engraved on the inside of his wedding band. The lyrics are “I’ll never be a stranger, and I’ll never be alone. Wherever we’re together, that’s my home.” After 12 years and two kids, it’s still true.”
“Home isn’t a place; it’s a feeling.”
“A place where I can be 100 percent me. “
“The smell of my mother’s perfume. Even though we live 3,000 miles apart, if I walk down the street and someone is wearing it, I immediately feel like I’m home.”
“Home means sanctuary.”
“Home is where I can take off my bra”.
" Home means predictability in an uncertain world"
“Home is my soft place to land.”
“Home is the place where you feel in control and properly oriented in space and time; it is a predictable and secure place.
In the words of poet Robert Frost, "Home is the place that, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."
In short, “home” is the primary connection between you and the rest of the world.”
What I noticed when I read these answers, was the fact that apparently ‘home’ seems to be another word for ‘happy place’! But I wanted to point out, that that’s is not always the case. There is a ‘dark’ side of home too. What about ‘homes’ which are associated with violence, abuse, addiction, exploitation and chaos? I didn't want us to forget those aspects and I thought it would be interesting, if we were brave enough, to explore those aspects as well.
I asked a few fellow artists if they would be interested in such a project and I got 20 positive answers. We met several times as a group and discussed our ideas, our progress and our experiences with 'Home'. These meetings became more and more personal, apparently 'home'is a very emotional and sensitive subject. We also discusses possibilities of exhibitions, explored about suitable venues and even thought about a collaboration with a local school.
After several months of hard work, we wereready to open the doors to the HOME exhibition. I already sensed that this would be a succesfull project and had booked 2 venues, the old fashioned little theatre on The Isle of Portland and a venue in Weymouth.
I stuck to my initial idea about the 'dark' side of home and when I saw a neglected dolls house in a charity shop, I knew what to do.
I created a little domestic scene in every room, but all related to the 'dark' side of home. One room was about domestic violence, one about femicide, one about sexual child abuse, one about eating disorders, one about depression, one about alcoholism and so on.
I'm showing here only the work I created.
Here is a video a visitor took
https://youtu.be/Qg8FHQjOZcc?si=8uFrJjIpNUBacA6F
