What We Do
In early March 2008, Efterpi commenced as an artist in residence at McCulloch House, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria, Australia, developing a new work called “Disambiguation Room”. The room forms a part of a multifunctional art space incorporating light sound, music, smell, texture, colour and image for immersion in by patients and their families using the facility.
The others in the creative pool are:
- Lucy Paplinska and Paul O’Connor – Videography (view bio)
- Tim Cole – Sound Designer (view bio)
- David Bridie, Helen Mountford, Amy Valent – Original compositions (music)
- Ben Cisterne – Technical creative genius (view bio)
- Leon Salom - Design execution (view bio)
The project is called “Disambiguation” because it is aimed at creating a space in McCulloch House that offers another way of bridging the gap between the ambiguity of the use of art and medicine. Currently in facilities like McCulloch House the best medical and nursing care is offered as a way of keeping people at end of life as pain free and comfortable with maximal quality of life as possible before they die. It is not traditional to consider that an artist created environment might also enhance this practice. This project aims to discover how this can be achieved.
The space uses a number of elements from a changing environment using transcending materials, film, sound, light and colour with occasional live music and other aural and sensorial stimulation. All these elements will be used in combination and according to the wishes and likes/dislikes of the participants, therefore creating an interaction with each other that is connecting and providing the participants own artistic experience of the space.
The project was installed and commenced operating in August 2008 and has since become a permanent part of the unit’s operations.
For the duration of 2009-2010 Efterpi will be continuing to use McCulloch House as a base to continue developing the work of Human Rooms for McCulloch House patients, but also for with patients and staff from the Adolescent Mental Health Unit, Children’s Cancer Centre and the Eating Disorder Units of Monash Medical Centre. Human Rooms is developing a business consultancy that will offer other hospitals, aged care and wellness facilities the opportunity to have rooms and systems developed for their site and client specific needs. Please contact Efterpi or McCulloch House for further information.
The Disambiguation Room and Efterpi’s residency has been incorporated into Southern Health’s art program “Art Beat” www.southernhealth.org.au.
