HAVEL RUCK PROJECTS
Projects
Describe your image
Describe your image
Ripple 2018
"Ripple" was a year-long residency at Cherryhurst House, a private art salon in Houston, TX. Havel and Ruck developed a progressive sculptural action that would build upon itself throughout the year. The concept was based on dropping a pebble into water, where the next sculptural cut was based on the last. The installation has been used for public viewing, dance performances, and private events.
Sharp, 2016
Havel Ruck Projects obtained a fire damaged house, located in a middle income Houston neighborhood called Sharpstown. Responding to the sleek pointed design of the mid-century house, Havel Ruck sculpturally altered the original “house shaped” picture window of the façade to create a sharp-edged sculptural void that narrows as it travels 30 ft. before puncturing the back wall. The opening at the back wall is an inverted, smaller scaled house shape, which 180 degree twist is reflected in the changing pitch of the void’s ceiling and floor.
Lined with a 3ml copper foil adhered to plywood walls, the void is designed to capture the sunlight and fill the interior space with refracted light and reflections. The entire exterior of the house is painted black to objectify the mass in counterbalance with the copper void.
Open House, 2018-19
Open House was a temporary public artwork commissioned by the Downtown Management District of Houston. It was located in Sam Houston Park, downtown Houston. The park is the site for a collection of historic homes moved to the park by the Houston Heritage Society. The project involved moving a house into the park and sculpturally altering it by cutting a series of holes in the exterior walls. The interior was wallpapered with vintage photos and images depicting historic people and places of Houston and anonymous family photos.
Three Houses 2014
"Three Houses" utilized over 60 large architectural fragments collected from three condemned houses in the Houston metro area. A large form was assembled in the gallery by stacking the extracted interior walls and building fragments. Once constructed, the form was shaped by cutting and manipulating the surface. Based loosely on preliminary sketches and models, the work developed on site where both the de-constructive andr re-constructive process directed the final results.
Trespass 5319, 2008
Havel and Ruck created Trespass 5319 for a group exhibit at CentralTrack in Dallas, TX.
Trespassing on a condemned site during its demolition, Havel and Ruck cut a series of wedge shapes out of the walls of the building.
For the Dallas exhibit, the wedges were stacked on edge to create 1/4 circles. The piece was reconfigured as a wall piece for a Havel Ruck Projects survey exhibit in 2009 at the Architecture Center in Houston, TX
Fifth Ward Jam, 2011
Fifth Ward Jam was a grant to collaborate with the neighborhood association of the Fifth Ward in Houston to create a temporary public art piece that would reflect the history of the community. The project involved moving a condemned house to a vacant lot in the Fifth Ward to create a park. The house was gutted and reconstructed as a bandshell and stage, reflecting the rich music history of the African American neighborhood. The project was adopted by the neighborhood and has acted as a catalyst for the construction of adjacent playgrounds for the children in the neighborhood and site for several community concerts and gatherings. Ownership of Fifth Ward Jam was transfered to the neighborhood association as a permanent public sculpture.
Give & Take, 2007
Give & Take was created for "No Zoning, Artists Engage Houston" at the Contemporary Art Museum Houston. The exhibit highlighted the history of Houston artists creating artworks and performances in alternative sites thorughout the city. Havel and Ruck used a condemned bungalow to create a sculpture in two locations. The sculptural action invovlved cutting out a large egg shaped void within the house and transporting the sections to the museum, where they reassembled the central hallway and connecting rooms of the house at the museum. The original house was opened to the public until it was tagged as a dangerous building and was torn down during the run of the exhibit, leaving the remnant to stand alone until its destruction at end of exhibit.
Torrent, 2011
Torrent was a commission from the City of Houston to create a permanent public art sculpture as part of the Green Resource Center located in the city's permit and licencing building. The work involved the creation of a 30' wall sculpture made with scrap aluminum and brass from a local scrap yard.
Trespass 4416, 2007
Trespass 4416 was created for a group exhibit at Diverseworks, Houston. Havel and Ruck trespassed onto a condemned property in the process of being demolished. The process involved cutting and collecting large sections of the walls and rooftop of a garage on the property, The building remnants were brought back to studio, stacked, shaped, and stuffed with debris from the site. After the exhibition the sculpture was returned to the site and placed on the corner as a heavy trash pile. Lasting six weeks on the street without being removed, the piece was collected and is now part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
Scatterboats, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2005
Scatterboats was created for the Estudio Abierto Art Festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina as part of an artist exchange of Houston and Argentinian artists. Havel and Ruck collected discarded boats from boat yards and an abandoned Naval Academy near Buenos Aires and transformed them into a temporary sculpture at the entrance to a navy peir where the art exhibit was being held. The theme of the exhibit was the history of immigration in Buenos Aires. The piece reflects how immigrants, arriving by boat from Europe, were scattered throughout South America and the United States at the turn of the century.
Apt. Suite, 2005, Houston, TX
Apt. Suite was a three day sculptural action. The site was a five building apartment complex in Houston, Tx. scheduled for demolition. Havel and Ruck treated the site as a large sketchbook, executing various sculptural installations throughout the complex. After a public opening on the third day, the buildings were demolished.
Inversion, 2005, Houston, TX
Dan Havel and Dean Ruck were brought back together in a commission from the
Art League Houston. Two bungalows used for studio classrooms were going to be cleared to make way for a new building. Havel and Ruck constructed a 90' long tunnel through both houses, inverting exterior wood siding to create walls of tunnel. The 30" ft opened onto Montrose Boulevard, attracting thousands during its six month existence.
O House, 1995, Houston, TX
O House was the first collaborative project created by Dan Havel and Dean Ruck, along with artist Kate Petley. The condemned house located in Houston, TX, was donated to the artists by a developer prior to its demolition. The interior was gutted and a large circular wall was constructed to enclose a dark inner room. A reflecting pool was located in the center of space. Holes were drilled into roof to let in light in and created camara obscura projections of exterior trees and sky. The house was open to public for two months prior to its demolition.