Sweet Home was designed specially for the semicircular
space of the pavilion. The formal solution of Sweet Home is
associated with the heart of a beehive, and in the middle
of the space there stands an archetypal figure representing
the traveller. This beehive-headed human figure, wrapped
in chains, and dragging along anchors and a trunk, is a negative
allegory of the evangelic prodigal-son story, of orientation
and domestication. Putting out to sea and returning home
are two notions through which Sweet Home is in close
connection with Venice, city of commerce. On the other hand,
this figure may also be a symbol of the Flying Dutchman:
the man condemned to wander the seas for ever and ever, until
a woman's faithful love redeems him, which would enable the
Flying Dutchman to come to anchor in a sweet home. This is
in fact impossible, so what is left for him is the never
ending journey. All the motifs of this work like the beehives,
the anchors or the chains are gathered around the sacred
and profane symbols of the notion of journey and home, and
represent a series of contradictions such as mobility—immobility,
home—homelessness, separation—home-coming, unfamiliarity—familiarity. |
