In this architectural performance piece, first performed in Madrid in November 2011 and acquired by MoMA in 2012, Jaque explores the political potential of the domestic arena. Within an armature of “hacked” Ikea furniture, local community members are invited to publically perform their everyday private talents, behaviors, and discussions. Using Ikea furniture as an improvised set, the work comments on the impact of these ordinary objects and systems in determining their users’ lifestyle—suggesting that not all people necessarily abide by the same normative principles or architectural dictates. The private dwelling, typically segregated from public space, is often conceived of as non-political, but Jaque underscores that political participation may be more than taking part in state or municipal decisions. Through activities, conversations, and community-oriented practices disseminated from one’s own private space, the domestic can become a new form of democratic parliament in which the architect is but an orchestrator and collaborator.
Gallery label from 9 + 1 Ways of Being Political: 50 Years of Political Stances in Architecture and Urban Design, September 12, 2012–March 25, 2013.