shadow spaces of home (2022)
“Commodification of the land presupposes an instrumental model of land relationship that makes attachment to place hard to sustain.”
– Val Plumwood (2008), Shadow Places and the Politics of Dwelling
Although born in Hong Kong, the place that I most strongly identify as home is in the western suburbs of Sydney. When the opportunity to revisit this location finally arrived at the end of lockdown in 2022, I was disappointed to find the place transformed and inaccessible.
Multimedia installation
Textile, masonry, glass, acrylic, and acetate
(Shouted through a shut gate, over a barking dog, separated by about 6 metres and wearing a face mask.)
Hello. My name is Kelvin. Sorry to bother you, we haven’t met before. I’m here to drop something off for the current home owners. Are you the current owner?
Yes, I am. I am the second owner. What was your name again?
My name is Kelvin. I grew up here. My father built this house in 1977. I wanted to give you some photos and a copy of the house plans so that you have a record of its history. They are photos of the house being built, and when our family lived here.
Oh okay. Why are you here?
I’m a photographer, and I’m visiting the places I used to live as part of an art project. I thought it would be good to share the history of this house with the people living here now.
So this house was built in 1977?
Yes. 1977.
We moved here around 2007. You can leave the package over there. So it’s just photos?
Yes, photographs. I also have the architectural plans and paperwork on a memory card. My contact details are also inside, so you are most welcome to contact me later if you like.
Okay. Thank you.