HH Holmes, The castle : The world’s fair hotel
Download Post Office Model by Cecile di Giovanni
Download Holmes’ Murder Castle by Ray Keim
In UNEMPLOYED ISSUE 07 you will find a limited edition, architectural Model of HH Holmes’ Murder Castle by Ray Keim, as well as a model of the post office that is now built in its place, by Cecile Di Giovanni.
Lead by her converging interests for American architecture, dark tourism, and movie sets, Cécile di Giovanni was drawn to the World’s Fair of 1893 in Chicago. Among a swarm of human zoos, technical displays and thrill rides, a certain hotel piqued the artist’s attention. This hotel had been designed by a man who would later be regarded – and condemned – as the first serial killer in the history of the US: H.H. Holmes.’ says Cedric Fauq curator at the CAPC museum in Bordeaux, France, where Cecile Di Giovanni first exhibited this model for the exhibition barbe a papa.
Cecile has always been fascinated by horror in popular culture and architecture. Her work here is a reflection on liminal spaces – the transition and the transformation – from murder castle to post office in this particular case.
For the full sensory experience, download and print your models, building them while listening to our podcast about the story of H.H. Holmes and his Murder Castle! Featuring an excerpt from Alexandra Midal’s The Murder Factory: Life and work of H. H. Holmes, First American Serial Killer, narrated by Julia Roth.
And for those of you who speak French, please enjoy the conversation between the artist Cecile di Giovanni and the writer/curator, Alexandra Midal, in Episodes 1 & 2.
ENJOY!
If you would like some more….here is Alexandra Midal experimental visual essay on the subject.
https://vimeo.com/369645585?share=copy
Alexandra Midal, Home Sweet Ho(l)me(s), 2018, video, 31 mn., color, mute
