The project’s purpose is to examine the role of renovation as a form of cultural remembrance, healing and transformation. In the context of Vancouver’s rapid redevelopment as a vertical, high-density urban environment where existing older buildings and multi-cultural histories are often eradicated under the banner of urban regeneration, the renovation consciously deliberates taking the position of a pseudo-historical shrine, interpreting existing space and collective memory.
In drawing a parallel between renovation and translation, Walter Benjamin noted: “It is the task of the translator to release in his own language that pure language that is under the spell of another, to liberate the language imprisoned in a work in his re-creation of that work.” - Illuminations: Essays and reflections, 1923
The renovation is led by Tom Sloan, industrial designer and Blood Mountain co-founder and director. It is a continuation of Blood Mountain’s ongoing research and production-based project, Renovating the New World, which launched in Australia with a bathroom renovation in August 2013.
Documentation
