Dog Eat Dog Houses
A collaborative project that explores the Boston housing crisis through man’s best friend
Originally displayed at TILL Wave Gallery in June 2024, Dog Eat Dog Houses is an expansive, collaborative project between Sophia Day and Sammy Polinsky. The second iteration of this project will be on display at Piano Craft Gallery in Boston in Fall 2025.
About the project
Dog Eat Dog Houses is a multimedia exploration of the Boston housing crisis through the form of the dog house, as well as a reflection on our societal obsession with pet dogs amidst delayed markers of adulthood for younger generations.
The Boston Foundation estimates that significant portions of Bostonians spend between one-third and half of their income on rent alone while all types of housing supplies have dwindled and housing and rental prices have increased. This housing crisis has moved the dream of homeownership, a traditional symbol of the American dream and a marker of adulthood, out of reach for many, particularly those in the millennial and Gen-Z groups. Amidst a myriad of think pieces trying to explain this crisis for the younger generations, one truth has emerged: younger generations love their dogs, treating their dogs like the children they cannot afford to have. The dog market has boomed in conjunction with the housing market, providing purchasing opportunities for our furry friends that we often cannot afford for ourselves - luxury dog houses, fashionable clothes, nutritionally-tailored fresh meals, and avocado toast toys (perhaps the cause of our financial downfall).
As young artists, renters, and dog parents, Sammy Polinsky and Sophia (Phi) Day, feel the acute pulls of the housing market, the weight of societal expectations, and the deep love they have for their dogs, Tofu and Tommy, who inspired this show. With practices rooted in humor and camp, the duo invites viewers to explore this constructed neighborhood, a reflection on both the absurdities of the Boston housing market and the “zillennial” infatuation with our dogs. Each house represents Boston past, present, and future, including a recreation of the artists’ shared Jamaica Plain home that suffered a fire in February 2024. With contributions from neighbors and community members, this exhibition seeks to encapsulate the stories of Boston housing past, present, and future, to highlight the idiosyncrasies of our beloved dogs, and to offer an opportunity to laugh through the tears we cry when rent is due.