City crews demolished what was left of a house at Stoepel Street, near 8 Mile and Livernois, on Monday. The exterior of the house had been removed by artist Ryan Mendoza for an exhibit in Europe called "The White House." The rest of the house sat for six months.
When starting the project, Mendoza, according to ArtNet News, "... was simply looking for a symbol of home and family." A friend bought the house for Mendoza to use. Mendoza took the facade of the house and transported it for an art installation in Rotterdam. He poured a lot of his own money into the project and used a crowdfunding campaign to support it.
Unfortunately, a lack of communication between Mendoza, the city, a contractor, and everyone involved meant the remainder of the house sat empty for over six months, rightfully upsetting the neighbors who had to look at it every day.
According to the Free Press, Mendoza had been willing to pay for demo all along, but a contractor he hired failed to deliver. The City Council approved an emergency demolition in December, but it didn't actually occur until Monday.
But no matter who was at fault, the remainder of the house is now gone and the exterior will be on display as part of a permanent exhibit in Antwerp, Belgium.
- Detroit house used for art display is demolished [Detroit Free Press]
- Ryan Mendoza, The White House
- Is Artist's Detroit House Project Urban Activism or Ruin Porn? [ArtNet News]