HOME SWEET HOME

Georg Steidinger  I  HOME SWEET HOME

Coconut mat, acrylic, barbed wire, 15 cm (h) x 40 cm (w) x 60 cm (d) / Variable installation.

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“HOME SWEET HOME” – at first glance, it appears to be a readymade in the tradition of Marcel Duchamp, combining everyday materials such as a coconut mat and pink acrylic lettering with the sharp contrast of barbed wire. This unconventional combination creates a powerful visual and emotional tension, as the work skillfully balances between the opposites of welcoming culture and isolation, integration and exclusion.

The coconut mat, a doormat inscribed with the flowing words "Home Sweet Home," symbolizes hospitality and coziness. However, this meaning is entirely subverted by the threatening presence of barbed wire. The message becomes clear: My home – whether on a small or large scale – is nice and cozy, but it is aggressively barricaded against outsiders by almost insurmountable barriers, anything but open.

This ambivalence challenges the viewer to confront the contrast between openness, protection, and acceptance of others, encouraging a critical reflection on the complex social and political implications and urging them to reconsider their own stance.