The kitchen island represents on the one hand a great love for cooking, gathering and eating. In the private environment, its perfection lends some cachet to the home and therefore its owners, perhaps, a sense of control. However, on the other hand, the pristine cleanliness of the island raises questions about its maintenance and the space it occupies. It takes a good amount of cleaning and tidying up to keep up appearances. The bigger the island, the more there is to become dirty, but also the more space it occupies; as much as a medium to large sized room. Whereas this amount of storage space makes it easier to keep the modern interior clean and clutter-less, the island becomes populated with the clutter that is now out of sight. Does the island become a Pandora’s Box containing harmful clutter and unwanted imperfections? Or can it be used in a more constructive manner? 

The Kitchen Island and its presence in the middle of a room is perhaps to the 21^st century what the four-poster bed must have been to the 17^th century. Both define through their presence in the surrounding space in the room and both represent a mixture of status, a need to display and a practical use. The most significant difference between the two is that the kitchen island is used for its exterior and the four-poster bed was used for its interior. A series of drawings explore ways in which to combine the two.

In this exhibition, the island itself can be used for cooking, gathering and eating, while the interior is filled with surreal objects and installations. The exhibition was a continuation of earlier research into domestic spaces and a critique and exploration of the idiosyncrasies of domestic space.

Washing lines were stretched between the columns of the space. Pegs on the washing line held the project’s photos, texts and exploratory drawings.

The island was accompanied by the first Giant Dolls’house installation.