Habitat can resemble, in size, a rodent cage. Even its formal appearance can momentarily deceive the viewer’s eye. Normally, cages have a small wheel that hamsters use for running.
But here, an apparent disproportion stands out: a strange wheel occupies almost half the space. The material used for the cage also raises some suspicion in the viewer—usually iron is used, sturdy and suitable to prevent the escape of the “small inhabitants.” In this case, however, thin walnut wood sticks have been used.
Habitat is a cage built on anthropometric measurements, a 1:10 scale model, “tailored” for average-height humans. The slender bars suggest voluntary confinement, perhaps a choice, even if unconscious. The playful aspect becomes almost obsessive, intensified by the sinister emptiness of the cage and the size of its wheel, which transforms from an animal “toy” into a specter of alienation.