Photographed over a two-year period “Behind a Little House” is an intimate participatory art project focusing on the notion of our place in the world beneath one sky. Place, both actual and imagined, plays a key role within identity. Behind a Little House references the landscape as one of the modes of construction of notions of national identity originated during the 18th and 19th century. Throughout the work the nationalist rhetoric is abandoned and home and sky function as cross-boundary and universal symbols, implying a shared sense of belonging and responsibility. Within this rhetorical framework I invite to reflect upon the ephemeral nature of our surroundings and our role into shaping the future of our natural and constructed worlds. The narrative is left open so that the viewer can bring their own story to bear on the photographs and contribute to the dialogue during the exhibition, when everyone is invited to intervene in the participatory artist book. What does it mean to belong? And how does it shape our perceptions and attitude towards the world?
Manuel Cosentino
