A unsual doll house indeed by the Brandt sisters - Susie and Betsy, each an accomplished artist in their domain, form a tag team match in some art wrestling arena to come up with this unique and  "live" installation.  We can all remember the Ant Farms that came in a kit to be assembled for home entertainment that respected, so they said, the eco-system and general well-being of an ant population.  I never tried as a kid, but my best friend had one and we would spend hours watching tiny little ants excavate little winding paths through the compressed styrofoam "earth" they were living in - until of course, they all died of either lack of food or water or what ever kills ants.

Susie & Betsy had a better idea, they converted their doll house not into an ant farm but a Fly farm!  Incredible but true!  The Brandt sisters did hours of research and learned all that they could about breeding flies, from their initial larva state to full fledged flying flies.  The larvas were confortably installed in their new home, complete with central (light) heating, water, food (for flies) and other assorted goodies insured to make a fly's short life as plentiful and rewarding as possible.  To keep everyone safe inside the house, the front side was screened off to prevent any errant wanderers. 

A month later at the close of the expositon, there were plenty of flies buzzing happily around, a few cousins who had died and others who had escaped.  The moral of the story in case you're wondering is: A fly's life is a lot like being homeless, moving from one spot to the next, being chased or brushed aside or simply squashed under the pressures of everyday life, always dashing around never finding a place to settle - to call home.  And if you're an artist, this feeling of homelessness of course, counts for double - especially if you have to move out of your studio, get married or pack up the family house.  It's a bug's life!