‘In a Dream in a Happy House’ is S/TAC’s third show to date and also their first show which focuses solely on the collective itself rather than through the lens of a historical collection or role as artistic shelter. Once again S/TAC zones in on the emotional and psychological theme of shelter but this time sets it in contrast with a more ominous expression; one of confinement, duty, expectation and the delusions of domestic bliss.
Taking inspiration in the title from the 1980s Siouxie and the Banshees track ‘Happy House’, S/TAC questions the many versions of shelter which can be interpreted as sanctuary or cell. The sense of ambiguity is important, on one hand there are suggestions of safety, protection and detachment, whilst there are also issues surrounding claustrophobia, containment and captivity. As ever, the expression of this concept is closely linked to the body, through identity, our many selves, the collective and the collective experience.
Highlighting the role of an artist collective as a form of support, encouraging experimentation and the many hybrids that can develop alongside the individual practices which include painting, photography, print, installation and film, in this exhibition the ‘happy house’ is revealed through (in)dependence, the role of the matriarch, the responsibility of family, the reemergence of the individual and the multiplicity of the self.