2018, reused timber, mylar, neon and stainless steel, 12x12x3.5m, Curious Creatures and Marvellous Monsters, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum Of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand
Anthropocene Shelter was a purpose-built wood and neon structure site-specifically relating to the gallery space. It grew in its organic form as a architectonic creature taking over the space of the gallery directing visitors to walk through and around the structure. By using recycled timber, the majority of which came from demolished leaky homes, Gregor explored the potential use of humble materials to take on architectonic forms. This motivation, as an artistic strategy, can be found throughout the development of installation practices ranging from Kurt Schwitters’ seminal work Merzbau (1933) to the contemporary work of Christo, Tadashi Kawamata, Maya Lin, Sarah Sze or Hector Zamora. Grtegor’s work engages with the legacy of such artists by innovatively coupling the grand history of architectural logic with the detested debris of society to cunningly provoke the collective conscience.
White cube no longer, Gregor wanted this structure to became space of sanctuary, but also functional spaces that visitors could experience as a place to walk through and socialize. This works was an exercise in architectural imagining with tangible application, which reconsiders waste for its real potential of spatial change.
Another important aspect of this installation was that all the timber was carefully wrapped in reflective mylar that further disguised the timber. The timber was wrapped as present and also served as a visual tool to further reflect the neon light to create an alluring and inviting space full of colorful light reflections.