Open for inspection

The aim of Open for Inspection was to use mixed media installation to examine trends in Australian and Sweden housing and to explore how these countries deal with housing stress, homelessness, social and private housing. The artists presented an installation, public forums and live printing events through the exhibition to investigate how aspirations for home ownership could be signified through artefacts, drawing and video. The artworks for the exhibition were inspired by research into 20thC Swedish social housing and incuded a floor drawing of a Swedish functionalist kitchen typical to the 1960s-1970s Swedish Miljonprogrammet (in which a million homes were built), video which explored the stress of moving from rental homes, objects which reference the domestic and Australian statistics and literature on housing vulnerability. The artists also created new artworks for the installation through live printmaking events held during the exhibition. These artefacts were informed by discussions held in the public forums which included speakers from Austalian peak housing organisations and were hosted by the artists. The project was informed by the architectural, design and socially inclusive concepts of Swedish social housing and connects with exhibitions such as the Stockholm on the Move exhibition, Fargfabriken, Stockholm (2012-13) which used art, design, forums and workshops to investigate the development and urban planning of the Stockholm region and Australian artist, Elvis Richardson's mixed media installation, Housed (Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melb, 2009) which examined the gulf between Australian public and private housing. The significance of the artistic research behind Open for Inspection lies in the artistic engagement with and synthesis of Australian and Swedish housing initiatives and issues. This was revealed through the exhibition which was attended by 1362 visitors and subject of a presentation by Keely Macarow, Auckland Art Gallery, NZ on 13/9/14.