Project: Ice House Detroit

**Meddle** · October-27-09, 05:03 AM

Artists plan to encase vacant Detroit home in ice

Oct 27 04:10 AM US/Eastern

By DAVID RUNK
Associated Press Writer

DETROIT [[AP) - A photographer and an architect plan to freeze one Detroit's thousands of abandoned homes this winter, encasing it in ice to draw attention to foreclosures that have battered the region.

The project from Gregory Holm and Matthew Radune, dubbed Ice House Detroit, is the latest example of the remnants of Detroit's population loss and industrial decline serving as both artistic inspiration and canvas.

"I've been really fascinated by the whole mythology of Detroit and the structures and what they represent," said Holm, who grew up on Detroit's east side and lived in the suburb of Hamtramck from 1997 until moving to New York City four years ago.

Holm, 38, plans to photograph the transformation of the house, which will be sprayed with water and gradually covered in ice. In the spring, crews will salvage what building materials can be reused and demolish the home. The lot will be donated, probably for a community garden.

The Detroit area has a foreclosure rate that's among the nation's highest, and Radune said the city offers a unique backdrop for the artists' work.

"It's a project that couldn't be done in the same way in New York City and it wouldn't necessarily make the same sense," said Radune, a 32-year-old freelance architect in Brooklyn who also is a DJ. "Detroit was a place where we could make it into more than architectural installation."

Holm and Radune now are working to raise $11,000 online to fund the project, mostly for costs related to demolition, and hope to soon figure out where in the city they'll freeze a home.

Detroit, which has shrunk from a population of 1.8 million in the 1950s to half that now, has tens of thousands of vacant homes and buildings.

"It's Detroit's distinctive history that makes it so resonant for this kind of work," said John Beardsley, an adjunct professor with Harvard's Graduate School of Design. "It was a go-go city that in recent years has been identified as gone.

"This is not to say that Detroit can't come back, but there is a particular poignance to this history."

One deteriorating Detroit neighborhood became the outdoor art gallery for Tyree Guyton, whose more than two-decade-old Heidelberg Project has drawn international attention. Guyton transformed the houses, streets and lots with his colorful polka-dot art and collections of stuffed animals, shoes and old appliances.

More recently, a group calling itself Object Orange painted the shells of crumbling Detroit buildings bright orange to call attention to the city's blight and decay.

Radune developed the idea for Ice House while studying architecture at Rice University in Houston. After talking it over with Holm earlier this year, they decided to collaborate. A book and film about the project also are planned.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

___

On the Net:

Ice House Detroit: http://icehousedetroit.blogspot.com

Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit: http://www.aswdetroit.org

**RickBeall** · October-27-09, 12:04 PM

It's hard to get worked up over turning a house into a dirty ice cube.

**Lonyo exit** · October-27-09, 12:19 PM

I guess it's neat and all, but it's pretty much the same thing as the frozen tree on Belle Isle every year, so the idea's not even that original.

**Supersport** · October-27-09, 12:48 PM

"to draw attention to foreclosures that have battered the region."

Yes, because Detroit has not been getting it's fair share of negative publicity lately. Especially in regards to the foreclosures that have battered the region. Why not freeze one of the Big 3's HQ's while your at? I'd donate some cash to watch our former mayor frozen, and a few council members too! But a house? Come on man, you really call yourself an artist? The person with the human popsicle idea, now THAT was creative.

**Meddle** · October-27-09, 01:03 PM

And if you have a warm winter?

**filup** · October-27-09, 01:16 PM

just blogged about on DETROIT LIVES!

http://detroitlives.org/newsblog.html

good luck!

**jbd441** · October-27-09, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by Supersport

"to draw attention to foreclosures that have battered the region."

Yes, because Detroit has not been getting it's fair share of negative publicity lately. Especially in regards to the foreclosures that have battered the region. Why not freeze one of the Big 3's HQ's while your at? I'd donate some cash to watch our former mayor frozen, and a few council members too! But a house? Come on man, you really call yourself an artist? The person with the human popsicle idea, now THAT was creative.

Hi agree SS. There should be a lot more attention placed on the corrupt city government. Maybe freeze a few old abandon auto plants too.

**jt1** · October-27-09, 01:35 PM

These pointless activities are becoming more and more sad.

With the Time non-sense and this type of stuff I can't help but think of gawkers looking at an accident. They can say that it is a shame but looking and discussing it does nothing.

If Time and various artists/reporters etc actually cared they would try to work with the city, residents, non-profits to help the people they gawk at. instead they continue to gawk.

I'm starting to think that these media outlets do not want Detroit to improve. If it does they don't have their sensationalism. Media intention with the intent to bring attention and help to the city is one thing. Gawking at a wreck for nothing more than entertainment value is appalling.

**Supersport** · October-28-09, 08:33 AM

Somebody needs to inform the media that their stories are no longer newsworthy, beneficial, or needed by the city of Detroit and her suburbs. People in this region have watched the auto industry shrink for over 50 years, when there were more than just the Big 3.

We've watched for decades how government has made moves, regardless of party in office, to ship manufacturing overseas. While administrations call it "free trade," we Detroiters know that is codespeak for less jobs.

We have watched a fall from a time when we WERE the strong arm, the backbone, and reason for success during WWII. It could be said that Detroit is the reason Europe, the UK, and other countries exist today, and one would be hard pressed to prove otherwise.

Detroit has been kicked in the nuts long before I arrived, and I don't see it changing anytime soon. How about a story on how a country forgot about one of America's great cities? How government continues to forget about middle class America? How the American dream is no longer available to the average Joe.

Freeze a house? Set up shop in Detroit for a year for a good laugh? No thanks, we aren't in need of any more national exposure, period.

**RickBeall** · October-28-09, 08:52 AM

>>How about a story on how a country forgot about one of America's great cities?

That's right! We are victims! And now we are being picked on by performance artists!

**detroitbred** · October-28-09, 08:55 AM

Watching the news story on this last night, my instant reaction was WTF is the point of that? Silly, pointless, even embarassing. All the problems the city has and this stunt is going to help HOW???? Just plain dumb.

**EastsideAl** · October-28-09, 01:05 PM

How about doing something that, say, employs people at a living wage? Now that would be some REAL performance art. If you can't bring that, or feed a few people, or at least tell the story of the actual people trying to survive here at the nightmare end of our modern "free" economy, get the hell out of here with your cute unoriginal art that only takes advantage of our misfortune and ludicrously cheap real estate [[ummm...art supplies).

**Det_ard** · October-29-09, 10:56 AM

Why does every "creative" type do something stupid related to Detroit and call it "art"? It's just an idea cooked up in a late night bar session, it's not some deep thought that's become art.

I'm sure when the roof caves in in January from the weight of all the ice that they'll contrive some metaphor related to the collapse of the city.

If they really want to make a statement, they ought to buy a foreclosure house out in snobbyville for $200K and bury that under ice. The statement could center around the time and money wasted by idiot "artists".

Retroit · October-29-09, 05:05 PM

Who's going to pay the water bill?

**Meddle** · October-29-09, 05:41 PM

If they've picked a place out yet, will it still be there after this weekend?

**RickBeall** · October-29-09, 09:32 PM

I think the only problem with this guy is that he is not thinking big enough. He should buy an abandoned skyscraper and turn that into an ice cube. That would say something.

What would that say?

Detroit giving it's icy finger to the world!

**old guy** · February-02-10, 04:34 PM

Love it or hate it.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/...an.wdiv?hpt=T2

**brandon48202** · February-02-10, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by Retroit

Who's going to pay the water bill?

They have thier hose hooked up to the fire hydrant, so it looks like we are going to pay for their water bill.

**Django** · February-02-10, 05:45 PM

I met this dude last week at the Cass Cafe, nice guy. After reading all the negative comments here I wonder if he would have been better off doing this project gorilla style. Maybe he shouldn't have brought in the media beforehand. theres a lot to be said when you just do something instead of telling everyone your going to do something.

I know of many abandoned houses and buildings where the water has been on for years, just pouring into the basements and down the drains so Im not much concerned about the water bill it took to make this project ice house.

I like the concept but it seems all too well managed. He could have just run a couple of cheap hose lines from the basements of any number of houses up to the roof and attached a sprinkler or two.

I kind of lost interest in the project when I talked to the guy and he was telling everybody what he was doing while in town. I do like the project though but I think it was overthunk. Ppl like a mystery. if you make a work of art thats worthy, they will find you and tell you so.

**Johnnny5** · February-02-10, 06:53 PM

According to the Detroit News article the guy responsible for this project paid the back taxes on another vacant home, and agreed to demolish and recycle this home in the Spring. This is a win/win for everyone involved! I thought it was pointless at first, but it's actually attracting people and positive attention to an area that really needs it. The best part is that it will lead to the demolition of a eyesore without using a single taxpayer dollar!

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...424/1409/METRO

**RickBeall** · February-02-10, 07:42 PM

I think a Detroiter's first impression of a project like this is about as positive as positioning cadavers and spraying water on them.

But as long as it does something constructive, I'm for it, even if it just means demolishing homes.

**Kathleen** · February-02-10, 08:01 PM

One of Today's Picks on the MSN Home Page...

Freezing in here: Detroit home encased in ice: Artists hope coating abandoned house draws attention to housing crisis
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35202307...ife/?GT1=43001