A-Z Wagon Stations are one of Andrea Zittel‘s experiments in mobile living. The units provide a membrane against the elements and allow the owner maximum autonomy and independence from regulatory controls such as building and safety codes.

Although the Wagon station doesn’t have wheels, the entire station breaks down into five sections and can be transported to almost any location and reassembled by two people in only an hour or two.

Zittel’s work reorganizes the space to allow users to live with a reduced amount of furniture and space. We believe that, presently, personal liberation is more often achieved through individual attempts to “slip between the cracks”. Instead of building big ranches and permanent homesteads, today’s independence seekers prefer small portable structures, which evade the regulatory control of bureaucratic restrictions such as building and safety codes.

A-Z Escape Vehicle is a line of mini mobile homes just big enough for a single occupant. These metal shells come ready for customizing.

My favourite among her works is the Carpet Furniture series. One room can serve several functions and the furniture can be hung on the wall when not in use.

Her works are shown at Andrea Zittel: Critical Space that runs at the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston through January 1, 2006; the show’s dates at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, in New York are January 26 to April 29, 2006.