HOME SWEET HOME

Georg Steidinger l HOME SWEET HOME
 Coconut mat, acrylic, barbed wire, 15cm (h) x 40cm (w) x 60cm (d) / Installation variable

“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.