Ironically, as a kollection of poetry centred on the physical home - and the spectrum of relationships that can be nurtured, burn, blossom & swell between its four walls - all 9 poems were written quickly, with little room for editing, while travelling. On trains, in coffee shops & abroad, once removed from a situation, or the routine of home or work, some of us are better able to decompress and reflect; the analogue ‘point & shoot’ photographs - and spontaneous prose chosen for this project - navigating both Openhome’s unique physical space & the balance between the light & dark of personal introspection. 

Writing this statement on a rainy last day of a recent work-break in Amsterdam - hopefully, my future ‘home’ - I stumbled across a quote: [Home] ‘is something that we create for ourselves’. 

This came as a late but apt prologue for this project in a largely unrelated but much needed rest. If wanting to build a ‘home’ or interpersonal relationship - we have a mutual responsibility - not just in its beginning, but in the way things ‘end’: respecting those who have shared in our domestic experience - a gift we should all receive - if and when things come to a close. 

In theory, this all sounds great. In reality, the spectrum of bitter feelings, denial, self-defamation, duality, melancholia, or the grudges that we fight - or sometimes, encourage - are explored in this project. Maybe, there’s something beautiful in embracing the inevitability of feeling uncomfortable - being a little more than just devil’s advocate - in wanting fireworks over whimpers - a failed but authentic partnership - handling things in a less than orthodox way. Maybe, we should acknowledge that sometimes, in the comfortable chaos of sharing & closing a life experience with another person - we can befriend, cheat, ghost or fall in love with several versions of our ‘komplex’ selves. 

If you’re after something a little more ‘picket-fenced’ - enjoy the pics and assortment of words. Fragile egos may fray or form in the making of this mess. 

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DOMESTIK BLISS was a three-day photo-poetry event by creative community & print publication PSEUDOKULTURE; hosted by Openhome. The exhibition explored themes of personal & professional back-steps, parenthood, broken relationships & postponement; recognising how a cycle of ‘papering over the cracks’ can be a difficult but empowering catalyst for change in personal mindset & interpersonal circumstance. Channeling these themes through the written word, image, sound, art & Openhome’s unique physical space, the event was supported by new works from PSEUDOKULTURE’S personal archive including prints of Copenhagen & Northern Denmark, film, video-installation & a curated soundscape playlist - artistic escapes & physical environments which helped inspire & shape the dialogues featured in the first creative collaboration between pseudokulture & Openhome