Copyright The Washington Post Company Apr 15, 2004

For the past seven months, the curators of "House-Home" transformed a run-of-the-mill Brookland town house into an art gallery. This month, their project culminates in a traditional gallery show. That sounds easy enough: The nine artists who installed work in the 12th Street NE house were charged with making one more piece, this one for the grand finale. But translating the home-based exhibition into a gallery show proved a tough task -- and a largely unsuccessful one. At Flashpoint, the few sharp pieces -- Stephen Rueckert's satirical easy chair, Susie and Betsy Brandt's disquieting fly house -- bear little resemblance to their domestic counterparts. But they do brighten an otherwise indecipherable show where a plastic sheet covered with dust (District artist Vanessa Kamp collected three months' worth) passes for art. The good news: The 12th Street house, with all its intriguing installations intact, remains open through the end of the month.

"House-Home" at Flashpoint, 916 G St. NW, Tuesday- Saturday noon- 6 p.m., 202-315-1310, and at 2914 12th St. NE, Sunday and April 25 11 a.m.-5 p.m., or by appointment, 202-526-8994, both to April 30.