Untitled House

Overview

Last month, Ian Strange turned a Richmond house into an artwork, to explore urban isolation, vulnerability and the universal need for shelter. Now, a bunch of teachers from Swinburne Uni have similarly treated the home as canvas. But, this time, they've plastered it with mirrors. Every square centimetre of wall surface on the dwelling at 27 Dorset Road, Ferntree Gully is covered with mirrored bricks. There are over 1800 altogether.

Called Untitled House, the project is part of Knox City Council Immerse Arts Festival, which runs 11 November to 11 December. "The Great Australian Dream of home ownership is being challenged in contemporary Australian life," artists Roh Singh, Larry Parkinson and Morganna Magee explain on the festival website. "[It's] becoming an ephemeral idea, one that many are watching slip from the horizon. The concept of the tangible disappearing out of sight and out of reach is one of the central intentions."

The mirrors represent this ephemerality. As the house occupies a high position, they mainly reflect the sky and distant views of the Dandenong Ranges. "This clad structure reflects and absorbs the changing ambience of its surroundings," the artists write. "We hope to echo a sense of disappearing, bringing a symbolic impression of the house being lost to the environment."

Meanwhile, the interior has been transformed into a gallery. A series of artworks draw on installation, sound art, photography and architectural interventions to explore notions of home and place, compelling viewers to reflect on their memories and ideas.

The house is open on Wednesdays (10am – 1pm) and Saturdays (10am – 4.30pm) between November 15 and December 9. Admission is free but you should book a spot through the website in advance.

Images: Rhiannon Slatter.