‘Shelter me' is a work that parallels garment and architectural constructions, or ‘flexible housing'. There is a basic need for a roof over your head to protect you from the sun and rain of the tropical climate. The roof is the most important part, defining a given space physically, as well as spiritually, like a temple incasing a vision / belief. The shelter is the minimal construction needed for protection, not yet the shape of a house, but directly related to the proportions of the human body. The work "Shelter me" is about the possibilities of mobility and motion. Like words, images as tattoos, and architectural design travel the globe. Not only currently, but for centuries, art forms and languages have been transported and exchanged through mysticism, common beliefs, and trade. These shelters also refer to the current global reality of migration. I placed these shelters in different sites in Yokohama during the Yokohama Triennale in 2005. The documentation (video) of the shelters and the sites in Yokohama became an important part of the installation and is shown together with the shelters in the exhibition space.

(Courtesy of www.mellajaarsma.com)