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Collection by Allie Weiss

On the Eve of Demolition, an Artist Covers His Longtime Family Home in Photographs

An installation riffs on the sometimes fragile relationship between homes and memory.

For Gary Sweeney, selling the Manhattan Beach home that has been in his family for 70 years was a matter of letting go of countless memories. When the new owners expressed their plans to demolish the house, Sweeney decided to cover the facade with blown-up photos of his family as an ode to the structure's history.

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Sweeney's mother purchased the house 70 years ago, when his father was in the Navy.
Sweeney's mother purchased the house 70 years ago, when his father was in the Navy.
Sweeney is living in the house during the installation, until it is demolished at the end of February.
Sweeney is living in the house during the installation, until it is demolished at the end of February.
Two new houses will replace the residence.
Two new houses will replace the residence.