Housewarning 2010 - 11

Ohio State University Hopkins Hall Gallery 2010, Organized by Tina Beifuss and Melissa Vogley Woods

Exhibiting Artists: Leah Ballis, Tina Beifuss, Anja Bruggemann, Stefanie Busch, Amy Casey, Paul Elsner, Matt Flegle, Eckehard Fuchs, Helma Groot, Scott Hocking, Esther Klaes, Maja Linke, Michael Litzau, Ryan Mandell, Fredrik Marsh, Ardine Nelson, Tim Portlock, Guido Reddersen

A house is a structure that keeps us safe and provides comfort from the elements. However, the concept of a house has ever-shifting connotations. We see the house as status, as burden, as security, and as a symbol of accomplishment. Changes in environment, societal structure, and circumstances can change our feelings about where and how we dwell, transforming this structure from cozy to claustrophobic, from ours to theirs, from real to idealistic.

HouseWARNING began as a conversation between Tina Beifuss (Dresden, Germany) and Melissa Vogley Woods (Columbus, Ohio) in 2008. This was at the onset of the US housing market collapse, and our discussions centered on differences and similarities in our cultural understanding of what constitutes a home: ownership vs. rental; scale vs. convenience; comfort vs. location; urban vs. suburban. These talks lead to the concept for this exhibition. Artist in this exhibition came from Germany, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit and Columbus.