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A frozen community. Photo: Dwell.com
It's no secret that Detroit, Michigan is in the middle of a crumbling economy. However, at the moment, thanks to the Ice House Detroit project, it seems more than the city's assets are frozen. Conceived of by photographer Greg Holm and architect Matthew Radune, the Ice House Detroit is a temporary art installation that involved encasing a vacant home bound for demolition in ice, in an attempt to bring attention to the startling number of foreclosures in the region.
Holm and Radune, both New York residents, were inspired by the visualization of a house frozen from a bursting pipe and immediately raised funds to tackle a similar aesthetic in Detroit. While you would think frozen water wouldn't be pricey, the price tag of the final project was $11,000, which the pair raised through Kickstarter, a crowd-funding system online.
Holm and Radune worked in 24-hour shifts to build each layer of ice. Photo: Dwell.com
Hopefully, after the last icicle has melted, the project will continue to resonate with Detroit residents. The project wasn't just a statement about our nation's stalled economy, Rudane told Dwell magazine in a recent interview, "It is also about providing the local community -- the children, the teenage photography students, the working folk, the bus drivers... with a bit of science fiction. It's a project that's visually meant to inspire people, that's not about the bottom line of paying rent, or mortgage or getting by."
The front door of a new perspective. Photo: Dwell.com
We're sure that many people were inspired by this unusual and moving work of art.
For more inspiring news, read on:
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- A Real-Life Hobbit House
Reader comments (Page 1 of 2)
I wonder whose house this is. Surely there is going to be considerable damage after thehouse is encased in ice for a winter. How about ice dams and frozen pipes? Perhaps not such a good idea after all, even if beautiful
ReplyJust what Detroit needs - New Yorkers making a spectacle of the city and calling it art. They can say what they want, but really Detroit is their two headed calf and now they want to show it off.
ReplySo they spend $11,000 to make 'art' to bring attention to the crumbling economy. How about taking that money and keep a family from losing their home? They wasted money on this crap instead of doing actual good with it. What a pair of losers!
ReplyYeah let's stop creativity, free thought, and freedom to do what we want with we have or raise. Who cares if it inspires people or gives them some pleasure in bad times. People who try to do inspirational things should be squashed like a bug. All extra money people have should be handed over to those who don't have as much.
what a waste of $11,000! that $ could have helped feed a lot of people instead of feeding their egos!
Reply$11,000 for this because they want people to be inspired for the arts and not about the bottom line of paying rent, mortage or getting by? To think out of the box? There are probably people in Detroit having to live in a box. They could have fixed up this house for $11,000 and given someone a home. What a waste.
ReplyThey have an abundance of old, old houses there that are functionally obsolete and too trashed to bring up to code. In the long run clearing things to renew some areas of Detroit would be better. As well, the point of this was to raise consciousness and part of that was that the little guy gets work not the real estate recession profiteers.
$11,000 ! Is water that expensive there? For $11,000 someone could have torn the house down. Anyone who helps fund this, may be as stupid as Greg Holm and Matthew Radune. These hosers need to get a life. Wetting down a house and claiming to have spent $11,000 to do it, does not inspire me at all. Tearing it down and selling the used lumber for $11,000 would be a much more considerable inspiration.
ReplyWhat a morons! The two who thought of it, but more importantly, the people who donated...omg...this country is so screwed.
ReplySam-
ReplyThank you. Very much, because without your comment, I would have been forced to assume that the world is full of idiots.
j-
Well, first of all, are they really morons for being creative and expressing their opinions?? Yes, the money could have been spent on food and necessities for the less fortunate, but it could also inspire
MILLIONS. And also, fun is not screwing this country, illiterates who think they know what's going on in the world around them are.
*ahem*
1st sentence "What a morons!"
2nd sentence "omg"
Please end world stupidity!
Children are not low income.
ReplyHow much of that 11K did they put in their pocket?
ReplyI filled a 6,000 gallon swimming pool for $12. I can't see this project costing $11,000.
Reply11,000 questionable dollars spent for their 15 minutes of fame. What a deal!
There is only one word for this,stupid.
Replythis supposed artwork could have been easily achieved setting up slow drip irrigation on the peak of the roofline & under the eves. A few whirlygig sprinkler heads in the front would have achieved the rest of the winter wonderland look. $11 grand,, I don't think so....
Replyso why didnt they take that 11,000.00 and help someone to prevent foreclosure on their house what idiots! I cant believe people actually donated to such a worthless thing as this how can you even call this art!
ReplyI'm glad you said it. I was thinking the same thing. Only liberals would say spending 11K was a mistake and it should be given away. I say we go back to survival of the fittest. If i'm supposed to share everything when are some of you going to start paying my taxes that are all given away to the needy by Obama.....and all of my bills. I think what they did was freedom of speech and expression and if that's what makes them happy.....go for it. It obviously did its job.......look at all of you reading about it.
ReplyBesides the photograghic 'ART' of getting the message out to all
Replywho would get WHY they did it, I wonder what the posts on here
would have been if they HADN'T mentioned the cost of it.
I'm a lifelong resident of Detroit and I didn't know anything about this "art" project or where it's located. Maybe they should have spent some of that money or PR.
Replyfcj
The price tag of $11,000 is ridiculous. I'm sure though that since it was city water there was a meter running that was charging outrageous prices. But artistically I thought it was pretty cool looking. But then I am a sucker for winter scenes and love to take snap shots of ice cycles hanging off trees and other objects.
Reply