House Life Project

Bisect
Brent Aldrich  
This table bisected the first floor of the HLP house, beginning on the front porch, traveling through interior rooms, and continuing outside through the back wall. The table linked private activity inside the home with public space of the outdoors and served as a site for interactive arts projects and conversation. The design is based on a table that Aldrich’s great-grandfather built when he was a resident on the Near Eastside in the 40s.

Believe That You Can Conquer the World
Marvea Hill
Hill’s interest in inspirational artwork motivated him to make large scale drawing on the HLP living room wall. Hill worked through a number of colored pencil sketches to prepare for this piece which declares the importance of not letting anyone stop you from achieving your dreams.

With
Ben Martinkus
Martinkus installed a 4×8 mirror in the living room, where he drew the likeness of visitors who wish to stand in front of and interact with the piece. The drawings and interaction between the artists, visitors, and the mirror create what Martinkus calls a “dual, real time, eye gazing exercise between strangers and acquaintances.”

Untitled
Stevie Barlow, Zaviera Garth, Christopher Williams
This team of artists used spray paint, recycled house paint, cardboard stencils, and tape resist to transform the raw wood boards that covered the windows into large scale, interactive paintings. When closed, the words “One Love” are visible; when open, the diptych presents an image of a heart exploding beyond the frame of the window.

Criminal Justice or Injustice?
Wes Janz
Ball State students hosted a series of dialogues with the Open House attendees about former Mayor Ballard’s call for a new Criminal Justice Center in downtown Indianapolis. During these conversations, people discussed issues related to the prison-industrial complex including racial disparities, power of prosecuting attorneys, high rates of recidivism, private corporate profiteering, and more.

Let’s Face It
NoExit Performance
Over a period of months, No Exit Performance worked with neighbors to make masks about neighborhood stories. During the Open House, NoExit Company members led a puppet-making workshop, where visitors built hand puppets that they used to explore the house before taking the puppet home.

We Were Here
Anne Marie Elliot
Elliot engaged local youth in creative and abstract storytelling to generate original narratives about an unoccupied house on the Near Eastside. She created an installation in the first floor bathroom that is based on one of the stories that emerged from this collaboration.