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| Kath Fries, Blue carpet homage, 2013, reclaimed carpet tiles, glitter and wire |
I was invited to create a site-responsive installation for 'One night at the Museum' April 27th, at Fairfield City Museum and Gallery. The museum's collection is based on local recollections, memories and donated household items, so it seemed appropriate to create my installation in response to a personal memory of the evolving museum site.
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| Kath Fries, Blue carpet homage, 2013, reclaimed carpet tiles, glitter and wire |
As I only begun visiting the Museum fairly recently I have no personal experiences of how the site has changed, so I asked two local artists - Tom Polo and David Capra, what they remembered about visiting the Fairfield City Museum and Gallery when growing up. They agreed the bright blue carpet tiles on the floor of the main gallery space stood out in their memories. This garish carpet dominated the space so completely that Tom and David say they can't really remember any of the artworks exhibited in the gallery, just walking across the strange blue carpet tiles on the floor.
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| Kath Fries, Blue carpet homage, 2013, reclaimed carpet tiles, glitter and wire |
This comment intrigued me and fitted well with my practice of creating site-responsive installations about cycles of change, using fibres and everyday materials. I decided to appropriate Tom and David's memory of the site by playfully reworking the gallery's infamous blue carpet tiles.
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| Kath Fries, Blue carpet homage, 2013, reclaimed carpet tiles, glitter and wire |
Blue carpet homage was initially encountered by visitors as glittering pathways of carpet-tile-stepping-stones that guided visitors around the museum site in the moonlight. One trajectory of carpet-tile-stepping-stones lead into the old council chambers, a 1913 heritage building which is now part of the Museum. Within this building is the Maisie Morris Gallery exhibiting historic photographs. Here, visitors were suddenly not just standing on the carpet tiles, but the carpet tiles went up the walls and seemingly flew overhead, like the tales of magic flying carpets in '1001 Arabian Nights'.
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| Kath Fries, Blue carpet homage, 2013, reclaimed carpet tiles, glitter and wire |
The unexpected placement of carpet tiles climbing up the museum walls, over the old window frame and suspended from the ceiling - rather than just sitting on the floor, was startling for most visitors. It caused them to reevaluate their experience and expectations of being in a usually predictable museum space. Assumptions of mundane utilitarian carpet tiles were literally turned upside down, as these glittery squares soared towards the ceiling as if about to burst out of the building and escape into another realm.
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| Kath Fries, Blue carpet homage, 2013, reclaimed carpet tiles, glitter and wire |
I would like to thank Carmel Aiello and Richard Petkovic for organising 'One night at the Museum' and inviting me to take part, as well as Tom Polo and David Capra for sharing their memories of Fairfield City Museum and Gallery, and the other exhibiting artists Linda Brescia, Delia Puiatti and Regina Walter. More information about Fairfield City Museum and Gallery can be found at livingmuseum.com.au
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| Kath Fries, Blue carpet homage, 2013, reclaimed carpet tiles, glitter and acrylic paint |
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