Medellin, Colombia – 9.1.2011

The Collective White House nº1 is to be constructed from the used bedsheets of an inexpensive motel. Donation of the bedsheets is an important element of the project. The bedsheets are a perfect metaphor for the transient condition of individuals, addressing issues of identity and immigration in the context of an economic system of exchange and labor. The project calls on the participation of the local populace and craft-makers, so the whole of the community reflects on the construction process and ultimately the final structure. This process opens the possibility for abundant nuances and personal expression in the building of the structure. The building is also a commentary on the homogenizing effect of modern labor practices and the ability for communities to generate value locally.

All of the Medellin projects are gathered centrally in a public artwork taking the shape of a 1/5 scale replica of the White House. This charged symbol of global power is reduced in scale, softened by its bed sheet walls and animated by the intimacy of its contents which consider a new relationship to power.

The Casa Blanda contains the resulting work of the agencies including musical recordings, embroidery, maps, videos, cell phone activated LCD displays, costume design, and street performance. The image of the Casa Blanda is transformed into an intimate, floating, ephemeral space, for making connections, where the sensual and fragile is privileged over the rational.  Our goal is to identify an affective city, one in which daily lives are revealed in relation to larger social structures. This is a first step in a transformational process that can lead toward a resilient future.