ABSTRACT
Fences are mundane elements of modern cities. They surround construction sites, institutions, or individual homes, segregating space and limiting who can access what lies behind them. Despite their prevalence, they often go unnoticed and unquestioned. This chapter showcases a painting project National (De)fence, which sought to make fences conspicuous. The project is a visual investigation of fences around single-family houses and housing estates found in the capital of Poland, Warsaw. It consists of a cycle of six paintings, joined in pairs. Three catalogues, each depicting sixteen fences, are matched with three specimens, individual fences selected from the catalogues. The chapter presents an autoethnographical account of the inspiration and rationale behind the art project. The author investigates the materiality and form of fences and connects them with broader discussions on the changing quality of public space during a turbulent transition period from communism to capitalism. On a broader level, the chapter seeks to investigate the link between ubiquitous fences, guarding homeowners’ private property, and the contemporary discourse of strong nation-state borders.
