Mixed Media Gallery Installation
Dimensions: Free Masons Hall 1 - 5 ft. (W) x 5 ft. (L) x 4 ft. (H)
Free Masons Hall 2 - 5 ft. (L) x 3 ft. (W) x 3 ft. (H)
Materials: Found objects, fabric, paint
Completed 2009
In the summer of 2008, a local chapter of the Freemasons sold their 150-year-old building in downtown Halifax and relocated across the city. I was fortunate to befriend the building's new owner, a businessman who began the gradual process of transforming the historic site into usable retail space. Over the course of two years, I explored the building and collected various objects, detritus, and refuse left behind by the Masons after their move. This work represents my first engagement with these forgotten objects in a gallery context.
The first piece features a wheel-like ornamental object discovered in the Masons' Hall, which I cleaned and restored. I then attached four legs to the object, allowing it to stand freely like a typical 4-foot-high table. Bright red satin fabric was draped around the periphery of the wheel, cascading down to the floor and pooling outward. This design intentionally frustrates gallery viewers' attempts to move closer, creating a barrier that invites contemplation rather than direct interaction.
The second piece showcases a sign-like object, possibly a lightbox, that was left behind and forgotten in the Masons' Hall. Remarkably, when plugged in, it still emitted a soft glow, despite the missing or broken glass panels. I positioned this object to lean against a dusty, broken church pew, also sourced from the Hall. To the casual observer, these two objects appear to be collapsing into one another, with one supporting the other, creating a visual dialogue between the remnants of the past.
By juxtaposing these objects, I invite viewers to reflect on the layers of history and meaning embedded within them, encouraging a deeper exploration of the narratives that shape our understanding of heritage and memory.