The installation called The Vanished House exists as almost a specter on the grass. The structure is made of a weathered metal that looks like delicate ivy as it twists up the walls and roof, leaving some areas partially formed while others not at all. Designed by Field Conforming Studio, the piece was set in a tranquil cemetery of Wuhan Shimenfeng Memorial Park in Wuhan, China. Its placement was purposeful, as The Vanished House was imagined as a space for memorializing and mourning that is in keeping with the spirit of its chosen venue.

Ivy was selected because of the associations we often have with it. “A symbol of hearth and home,” Field Conforming Studio writes, “this house, as detached, leaves a space formed by the wrapping creepers. It is the remembrance of a vanished living space and thus of the people and things of the past.” In deciding to depict ivy, the designers also had to consider the type of house they'd create. They first considered a structure that is specific to Wuhan, but they eventually settled on a simpler design that “resembled a child’s sketch.”

Once Field Conforming Studio determined the form, they began the tedious task of sketching the ivy and converting it into vector files. Doing so made it possible to laser engrave the ivy on Corton steel. This material is significant because it will change as The Vanished House ages. “Over time,” the studio explains, “the color of the Corten steel plates will get darker with sunshine and rain, and the intention of this work will become increasingly prominent.”

Scroll down to get a sense of this monumental piece that invites reflection.

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