Every Increased Possession Loads Us with New Weariness

Every Increased Possession Loads Us with New Weariness (2017), Steel, concrete, glass, aluminium, copper, cast iron, Caithness stone, 184 x 135 x 87 cm Every Increased Possession Loads Us with New Weariness (2017) is a public sculpture for Ruskin Square in Croydon commissioned by muf architecture/art and Stanhope Schroders. Ruskin Square is a large scale development near East-Croydon station. The artefact aims to reverse the supply chains that led to the development of the site; 'unmaking' the building and remaking constituent materials into an artificial mineral of steel, concrete, glass, aluminium, copper, cast iron and Caithness stone. The research develops ‘situated practice’ as a method, with the translation of data generated through fieldwork into a well resolved design outcome. It also entails appropriate translation of a theoretical interest in the politics of development and supply chains into a public sculpture. Additionally the project effectively manages a mix of stakeholders including practice researchers, the estate developer, a commissioning body and a variety of manufacturers and suppliers. The design and its underlying methods have been presented internationally through invited lectures, with hosts that include MoMA R&D Salon (New York, 2020) Artists’ Talks Series, The Architectural Association (London, 2019), Zurich University of the Arts (Zurich 2019), and the Institute of Contemporary Art (London, 2017) The sculpture makes an intrinsic contribution to the broader development of Ruskin Square, which has been awarded a range of international accolades, including a prize at the 11th International Landscape Biennial 2020. The project is documented at https://everyincreasedpossession.com and published through Goldsmiths Research Online (GRO) at http://research.gold.ac.uk/19984/