Fran Cottell's house project 'Back to Front' is the fourth of a series started in 2001, in which she invites visitors into her house to witness and be part of its transformation from domestic space to a place for observing domesticity. In former installations she has built platforms which guide the visitors through the rooms where they can see the often chaotic domestic arrangements, the living rooms housing stuffed animals, barometers, musical instruments, and other collectibles which her husband brings home from auctions. There are the remnants of her children's activities, meals eaten, along with family photographs, artworks and piles of books. Over the previous installations the platforms have been built at varying levels, one even puncturing the ceiling so the viewer climbed up and peered through into the upstairs.
People are living in a cage / window showing to the public their everyday life, personal and private moments. Am I as a spectator also a witness? of what? a private space, the private life of the artist, therefore I'm also part of the work, because without me (the spectator /witness) this work could not exist or being realized. It is a performance that involves the spectator without let him know. The house seems an intimate / private space but, at the same time, due to the windows dividing the spaces, it arose a sense of coldness.
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