Installation at Reactive Melbourne

For our quarterly R & D day at work last week I made an installation in the stairwell. Unlike the rest of our office, which is a light, bright space with high ceilings, the stairwell is quite dark and purely functional. We use it to go in and out of the building, and have no reason to linger. I wanted to transform the stairs into an inviting, warm space where staff can go and sit when they want a place to think away from their desks or meeting rooms.

I decorated the stairs with garlands made from crepe paper, pom poms and feathers. I strung fairy lights for some extra magic. I placed cushions on the floor and opened the door so fresh air could float around the garlands.

Then I invited people to come sit with me in the cavity under the stairs. We talked about what the space reminded them of and what they would name it. Many people mentioned dreamcatchers and other Native American symbols, as well as Tibetan prayer flags and the colours of the Bangkok night markets. People thought of birds and breezes and tropical places. Finally, I took pictures of everyone in the space.

Thank you to everyone for letting me share the photos I took of them. There are more photographs here.