Trying To Fit Into A Car Park.
Abject Gallery, Sunderland, 2026.
In 'Trying To Fit Into A Car Park', cars, pebbles and street vitrines are collectively used to build an ecosystem centred on communication, judgement and speed. The piece relies on two marquetry vitrines on opposing sides of the gallery wall, each housing remote controls which are radio signalled to a pebble vehicle made from paper, fresco and tempera. Central to the gallery, a pebble dash car park has the capacity to fit one of two pebble vehicles. The visitor becomes participant in order to park a pebble within the central home, using the vitrine controller attached to the wall with restricted, back facing vision.
In mirroring the gallery wall and floor with urban shapes such as car park space dimensions, box junctions and road spacings, Sweeney aimed to bring an element of universal placelessness to the gallery. Tape lines on the floor match stop lines on the wall vitrines, emulating the reflection of a puddle. The motifs aim to be reminiscent of the outdoor urban environment to create a sense of familiarity.
The project aimed to explore play found in everyday objects, reconsidering pebbles as a protagonist to contemplate challenges of communication and control, and human reaction to restricted control. In making the piece both visible and invisible through lack of instructions, the work aimed to question the hidden play in architectural forms around us, and objects themselves as anthropomorphic to offer a sympathetic perspective of the outside world.
