Token Homes

Token Homes is a playful statement about the growing housing crisis – one of the most potent issues of a generation. In burgeoning cities, social housing shortfall is fuelling property investment schemes, leading to architecture devoid of aesthetic value and restricted room for habitation.

Extrapolating this trend, Token Homes turns social housing data produced from local surveys into a hypnotic large-scale sculpture. Consisting of 400 miniaturised property units, each house is available for investment, their value secured against their lucrative location.

This absurd solution to the problem highlights the ongoing tension between financial speculation and housing’s original purpose.

Fluxaxis, the makers, worked collaboratively with Matthew Plummer Fernandez, venturing beyond traditional creative and manufacturing boundaries, with astonishing results.

In January 2018, York Mediale launched a residency with Matthew Plummer Fernandez in collaboration with Fluxaxis, a new £1m+ 3D printing start-up.

After working intensively with experts at Fluxaxis over 9 months, Matthew produced one key commission – a 3m sculpture made up of 400 miniature houses which premiered at the inaugural York Mediale festival on 27 September 2018.

The residency explored the future of digital fabrication, manufacturing and the creative potential of 3D printing. It enabled Matthew to develop his work with the world-class equipment available, including 3D scanning, 5-axis CNC machining and 3D design.

This was the first time Fluxaxis collaborated with an artist in this way, demonstrating the intersection between art and industry.