HOUSE OF MIRRORS
29 Oct 2014
Permathene was proud to be invited to supply materials for an artwork that has been named a finalist in this year’s Sculpture by the Sea exhibition.
The 2014 Sculpture by the Sea exhibition in Sydney is Australia’s largest annual outdoor sculpture exhibition and one of the world’s largest free public events held each year from Bondi to Tamarama.
Permathene was proud to be invited to supply materials for one of this year’s artworks, created by NEON. House of Mirrors was picked from over 480 artist submissions as a finalist. NEON received an award for this artwork which means it will also be travelling to Perth for the next phase of Sculpture by the Sea.
House of Mirrors is a reinterpretation of the classic Australian beach hut, a structure that traditionally sits boldly and brightly on the sand, blocking out the exterior environment whilst proclaiming its own presence. House of Mirrors challenges this approach. Instead of creating a dominating presence on the beach, it disappears into the natural landscape, welcoming and amplifying the surrounding environment.
House of Mirrors will provide a magical experience for visitors to Bondi. It’s a house that isn’t quite there; it allows you to sit inside it, soaking up the environment in plain sight of everybody, whilst simultaneously remaining completely hidden. It is a place for sitting, relaxing and contemplating the unique environment that is Bondi Beach.
House of Mirrors is formed from two primary materials, a Permathene gabion cage structure and sheets of mirror finish steel. The gabion cage structure acts to blur the house, creating an ephemeral, indistinct form. The mirrored steel cladding on the exterior reflects the surrounding environment, allowing it to camouflage itself and blend in with its context.
The mirrored surface of the interior reflects and amplifies the environment internally creating a fragmented and distorted view of the beach environment that focuses the attention of the inhabitants on previously unseen details.
For more information on Permathene visit: www.permathene.com.au