(De)Construction of Home

Christina Melchin

Interview by C. VanWinkle
February 15, 2023

Would you please describe the prompt that you responded to?

It was an acrylic painting of a house. The background was in autumn colors, with nature and a sunset. I really liked it. But I also thought that it would be kind of challenging because it was such a direct picture. There was nothing abstract, but it showed a type of situation. So I thought it would be challenging for me to put it in a collage while still using my own style for it.

So how did you get started?

It's a bit different than I normally work because it was a prompt and a topic that I had to work on. Normally I just take all of the tons of material that I have in a lot of boxes and carton folders and so on, and I spread it on the floor. Then I just go through it and collect some colors and see what’s fitting together without any plan – just following the flow. But this time, I had to start with this prompt, so I started by searching for some architectural stuff and for things that fit the color and the mood.

You also added the word ‘home.’ Why?

That was directly at the end. It was a last-minute decision. I think it's because I just moved to Prague, and I finished the piece here. All of my materials are still in my hometown, so I just had maybe 10 different papers here to work on and maybe 20 letters. Also, it's kind of a home, like a deconstructed home. I'm moving just this week, so I thought it was really fitting.

I agree. I saw the piece first and then found out that you were moving, that you were changing your home. Is Prague your home now?

It is now. I'm making it a home.

That’s a good attitude. Changing homes is hard. I find that working with limited resources helps my process. Did you find it more freeing or challenging?

I started back home, where I have all of my materials and then I just took like 10 or 20 of them to continue working here in Prague. I thought it was really challenging because I'm used to having everything around me and a lot of possibilities. But I'm really happy with the results. So I think it challenges me in a good way.

I agree. You came up with something really interesting. Do you enjoy working from a prompt? Is that something you do much?

I worked from a prompt one time before, for a kind of contest or community thing. But back then the prompt was just a word. It was a topic. This one was completely different because it was already an image, but I really enjoyed it. It changes the way you’re working.

How does this piece relate to the rest of your work?

I think it's really different from the style of the works that I normally do. But some of my friends looked at it, and they say they can see that it's mine. I normally work more with images of people or with body parts or natural elements. This one is really abstract, so that’s something new.

A lot of people use this project as an opportunity to try something different. Maybe that’s because there's lower pressure. It's not for work or for school, it’s just for fun. Is Prague your first big move?

I’ve traveled a lot recently, but just for short periods. This is the first time that I'm completely relocating to another place. And I’ve even moved to another country.

Interesting! I wonder how that might change your artistic practice.

I think Prague is an inspiring city. They have a lot of culture and a lot of art around. A lot of exhibitions and young artists and things going on. Also, I will collect new materials here. Czech materials this time. I think it will give some new inspiration and some new input.

That sounds fantastic! I look forward to seeing how it works out for you. Is there anything else you would like to mention that I didn't ask about?

There was a funny coincidence while I was working on this. A friend of mine was next to me, also working on his collages, and then he found this photograph of the building piece that looked *exactly* like the one in the prompt, in the painting. Exactly these windows and this angle… We were really surprised that we found, in all of my materials, something that fits so well too! So yeah, I had to add it in there.

That's great. What is your advice to someone else coming to this project for the first time?

Have fun. Just enjoy it. Just be open. I would also recommend leaving yourself open to all different possible mediums that you can receive as a prompt. You will learn something new from it and it will change your perspective and inspire you. You don't know what you're going to come up with until you find yourself in that situation.

Call Number: C90VA | C92VA.me

Christina Melchin, 27 years old, from Germany, social worker (field of migration and integration, refugee support), currently studying social geography with focus on urban health in Prague, (Instagram: p0srealidad)