Looking at the “absence of home” in contemporary art through the trace of memory

Abstract

The theme of home is a frequently encountered subject in the history of art. The views of houses in artworks gain diversity with landscapes including interior and exterior spaces or symbolic-metaphorical expressions. In contemporary art, it is particularly noteworthy that houses are among the working subjects of artists with their dimension based on extinction. Situations such as the change of social order in contemporary life, transformation of living conditions, globalisation, belonging-not belonging due to migration and displacement, social inequality have prepared the ground for questioning the presence and absence of the house. This research aims to examine the art practices of artists working on the absence of home in contemporary art. By selecting a work by Petrit Halilaj, Rachel Whiteread, Christian Boltanski and Doris Salcedo, the meanings between memory traces and ‘the presence and absence of home’ were evaluated and multiple layers of meaning were emphasised. These works, which express the ‘absence of home’, are analysed in terms of the relationships established with memory and memories and the characteristics of reminder space. This research shows that artists create spaces that embody the ‘absence of home’ through memory based on individual and social experiences or use existing spaces in the context of disappearing homes. While these artists establish a connection between the ‘absence of home’ and memory in their works, they use indirect reflection methods that prevent the establishment of a direct relationship. Although the works of the artists function as memory spaces for memories of home, they also offer a way for viewers to question and reflect.