Empty House

Space without Shelter: Empty House by Maximilian Verhas

Several angular, interlocking block forms come together to make a compact, cubic overall body – edges meet edges, recesses interlock like a three-dimensional puzzle made up of a few clearly cut volumes. “Empty House” is an object from a series of 16 cubic models that Maximilian Verhas worked on in order to develop further rolling bodies. While working on these various models, he became aware of their architectural quality. To bring out this aspect, he first made concrete casts of them, because the material alone evoked the association with a building.

If one imagines this object as high as a house and made of concrete, it becomes architecture that the viewer can experience spatially by walking through it. These “houses”, however, are not usable buildings – they lack any protective function, there are no sheltering spaces. With the title “Empty House”, Maximilian Verhas alludes precisely to this difference from functional architecture: a form that recalls a building and a dwelling without ever being habitable.

Made as a silver edition from around 5.4 kg of fine silver and limited to 25 numbered examples, “Empty House” transfers this architectural idea into a compact, high-quality collector’s object – a cubic study of space, form and the boundary between sculpture and architecture.

Please note: the price of silver is subject to market fluctuations; the final sale price is based on the prevailing price of fine silver and will be quoted on request.