Marek Halász’s installation My House (2010) is based on a highly personal exploration of the artist’s home. The work not only documents the process of discovering and uncovering historical layers of the house and property recently acquired by the artist, but also offers the viewer the possibility of taking a more active role. Not only does Halász present catalogued artifacts conserved within museum-like displays, but he also introduces the viewer to the ongoing process of the artist’s fieldwork-research. The installation is presented as an abstract version of the actual site, including a copy of the land registry map. The entire work is divided into sections that allow the viewer to touch and work with the installation, and is structured according to layers of architecture and as a cross section of the underground layers. This archaeological probe takes the form of a segmented storage space made using plastic construction sheeting. As designed, the exhibit both reflects reality while also being a mental map of the site, an exhibition of the found relicts.
Mira Keratová