consumer temple - broken icon 2009

details

:::: work created for The Armory Exhibition 2009, Newington Armory, NSW
:::: installation consisting of a 20’ shipping container; hardwood timber pallets; cash register & other
:::: 8m (height) x 3.5m x 3.5m
:::: 5 tonnes (total)

artist statement

A shipping container and timber pallets are combined to form an upright architectural proposition.

The work sits singular in the green expanse in a state of stable decay.A narrow entrance leads into
an intimately walled enclosure offering no out other than the way of entry. Through the walls only
fragments of the outer world are discernible. In the relative darkness the eye is drawn up into the airy
chamber high above, where light beams through small windows onto a centrally suspended cash
register. It hangs beaten, broken and looted.

While the architecture may suggest a foreign house of worship, its deity and practices, however, are
imaginable and may feel oddly familiar. In its dilapidated state, it may be read as an abandonment
scenario, where the faith that has brought this house into being is clearly no longer
dispensed here.

featured

The work was featured by invitation in the book Container Atlas, a major book with international focus on advances in container architecture, by Gestalten (Berlin, 2010):

authors: H. Slawik,  J. Bergmann, M. Buchmeier s Tinne
publisher: Die Gestalten Verlag (click)
number of pages: 256
published: 2010-02-15
ISBN - 13: 9783899552867

Publisher's description:

"This book presents a wide range of projects in container architecture a contemporary architectural phenomenon. It features container structures used as pop-up stores and temporary exhibits as well as sophisticated housing and office spaces that provoke and inspire while setting new standards in functionality and aesthetics. But the book is not only visually inspiring. Because it documents plans, describes associated costs, and suggests concrete solutions for common problems, it is a practical reference for architects, planners, and cultural activists as well as event and marketing managers, to guide them in deciding what types of containers are best suited to their upcoming projects."

acknowledgements:

This installation was enabled by the generous support of Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA), CHEP Australia and Lorose - Container Hire & Storage.

The artist would also like to acknowledge the consideration, skill and capability of those who helped make the work a physical reality. They are Coastal Management Group (installation of ground anchoring and fixing), Cavanagh Cranes & Transport, Shreeji Consultants (engineering design and certification), and Airmartech Australia (supply of anchoring equipment).