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Last Shelter – 2008

Shed, Neon, Felt, Paint, Wood Bark, Chair

Last Shelter explores how concepts and belief systems, regardless of their purpose, can be instilled in us through repeat conditioning, affecting our most basic understanding of reality. It takes form as a participatory project comprising of a pre fabricated building housing a de-conditioning chamber. The interior is lined with thick black felt, with a floor coated in pungent wood bark, giving a strong fermenting smell and an uneven walking surface. Entering one at a time participants are plunged alone into a disorientating space of total darkness. Finding a chair the individual participant is then faced with a blinding neon text, pulsing intermittently at a specific frequency. Contrasting with darkness of the interior the message leaves a dazzling after glow, punctuated again by darkness.

Last Shelter provides an internal experience and the opportunity to question deeply held beliefs, with audience participation being central to the aims of the project. The installation explores themes that have characterised works from this period, making parallels between social conditioning and religious experiences.