House-18
house
A group project with multiple New Zealand artists contributing, a kiwi-ana, meets toi maori, meets pacifica, meets everybody else who's here in New Zealand.
Taking the form of a structure, an un-complete building, an interior without an exterior, suspended from scaffolding,
A structure representing the many cultures that make up present day New Zealand. Un-complete because New Zealand (like every present day nation) is not yet complete. Suspended (unsteady) representing the literal shaky ground of New Zealand.
I will represent this with a 'beit kenesset' / 'whare hui', a 'meeting house' meets ' meeting house' hybrid, a kiwi version of the historic folk art wooden synagogues of eastern europe combined with the 'whare whakairo' the maori 'carved house' meeting house.
This will be achieved by having multiple artists (in their many different styles) paint panels of old testament stories, these panels will be joined with rib (ancestor) posts carved and/or painted by multiple artists representing each artists heritage (and therefore the many peoples of New Zealand). These 'walls' formed from the ribs and panels will then be suspended from a scaffolding so at the base they are just off the ground,
As a 'beit kenesset' (synagogue) the structure will also require a cabinet/cupboard (aron kodesh), a single chair, and some metal/glass work (the eternal light).
aron kodesh
The 'aron kodesh' (holy box) which holds the Torah scrolls when they are not in use.
'aron kodesh' is often translated in english as 'holy ark', ark seems to be an old english word that means 'vessel' or 'container' perhaps similar in concept to the word waka.
I see House-18s 'aron kodesh' as a "Pataka Taonga Tapu" (storehouse of holy things) so in the concept I've drawn here I try to capture that connection.
