The exhibition I visited was Do Ho Suh’s “The Perfect Home II“. It was located in the Brooklyn Museum. This piece was a full-scale recreation of Do Ho Suh’s home, made of grey-blue translucent nylon and supported by steel bars. Every detail of his house was hand sewn into the fabric, including door hinges and window latches. I chose to focus mainly on the bathroom. The amount of detail put into the room was spectacular. From the power outlets to the air vent above the mirror, every corner and crevice was accounted for. I was very interested in the amount of detail and the craft that was put into the whole space.
This work was made as a conversation about migration and cultural displacement. That is a topic that interests me greatly as the granddaughter of Cuban immigrants. The idea of having a permanent home is distant to many, Do Ho Suh wanted to “carry to carry [his] house with [him],” and this piece allows him to feel at home wherever he is.
This piece reminded me of the concept of repetition. It was the idea of becoming so familiar in your home, touching the same doorknob every morning, opening the same windows every evening, looking in the same mirror before going out. It is this repetition that creates familiarity with your space, and then the idea of having to leave it and not being sure of where you may be staying. The idea of longing for your old home, feeling unfamiliar in your new space, despite having lived there for years.
