Understanding

All activity in relation to The Swiss House begins by

• ­understanding that houses necessarily include the land on which they stand

• acknowledging the unceded sovereignty of the land of the Djadjawurrung people

• ­recognising that the changing climate is caused by human misuse of environmental resources

 

Propositions for activities

All artworks, including actions and events, are collaborations with The Swiss House.

This house is not to serve as a mere backdrop to human activity. While Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in 1859 recognised that humans are not the centre but just one, interdependent element of our world, the increasing destruction of plants, animals, of earth itself shows that we have ignored this. So, in this project, humans are to participate as a respectful part of the world we inhabit, not the subject of it. This to be an ongoing artwork that addresses relationship.

See, in particular:

• Study for 15 painters and prepared house

• Rehearsing catastrophe: the ark in Avoca

• Uncle Vanya in Avoca

 

A circle is the central image, encircling is the central action

• All action encircles utility and poetic image. Thus, landscaping a hill with stone walls for water retention and hedges for protection becomes house/garden as opened pop-up book, 

• A circle of autumn red around the house allows winter sun and summer shade while simultaneously framing the house’s European colonial heritage.

• A virtuous circle of reuse to repurpose used goods as artworks, or as gifts, or as compost is central,

• A circling around the local – whereby materials (eg stone, food) and services are locally sourced,

 

Images

 

All actions are relational. All actions are art actions.

See in particular

Study for 15 painters and prepared house,

X species cocktail party ( Natalie Jerimijenko )

Cleaning the Floor performance (Lyndal Jones, Dean Keep),

 

All sound is song

See in particular

Recurring Rain Fantasy

The Axe Murder Incident –  

FREQ-OUT Carl Michael von Hausswolff concert

audio Woodpile Event Norie Neumark and Maria Miranda,

Water Tank Music (Philip Samartsis and Lyndal Jones)

Culvert Songs from Mas Cabardes ­– (Lyndal Jones)

The silence of using hand-tools wherever possible,

The sound of mowing across the town that signifies Spring

 

There are roles for artists of all levels of professionalism bringing their partic

 

All public events are carried out with the support of local experts

See projects for local experts involved