Refuge is a portable installation made of two big wooden boxes connected to each other by a narrow passage. Each box is clad in stainless steel. Though the dimensions are enough for a person to sit or stand inside each box, the stainless steel wrapped around them acts like a mirror and reflects the surroundings, making it blend in and nondescript, until one takes the effort to notice.
An on-site guide provided by the artist allows one to two persons to stay in the installation for a maximum of seven minutes during periods when there are others who want to see what is inside. When there are no crowds, people may stay for as long as fifteen minutes. The insides of the boxes are bare, but open up to the sky.
By situating the installation in the country’s premiere business district, the artist invites people to take a pause from the daily rush. By creating an interesting exterior but leaving the space within the box empty, the curiosity of the visitor is piqued and one is encouraged to notice things that normally are ignored. By having a pause from routine, one is given the chance to be free to observe, rest, just breathe, take stock, imagine, feel and be in the moment.