Comprising 250 houses in an established – albeit hypothetical – neighbourhood on what could be the tree-lined slopes of any New Zealand town or city, Graft pays homage to the iconic bay villa - one of the most popular house designs of the early 20th century.

It is also an indictment of the progress at any cost mentality that has seen the loss of actual neighbourhoods around the country and asks have the gains outweighed what has been lost?

Conceived by artist John Radford, Graft is at one and the same time a sculpture, an installation, a performance piece and a virtual artwork. More than just 250 miniature houses and a community of owner-neighbors, Graft encompasses the urban planning, development, construction, sales presentations, open houses, and financial and legal documentation that goes into buying a home.

Of the 250 houses that will make up Graft, 172 have been sold thus far to various owners who have bought one at a specific address in the installation. Each owner is issued with a purchase agreement and a title deed guaranteeing ownership of their house and section. Owners may resell their houses and sections on the understanding that the artist receives a percentage of the sale price.

Graft began in 2009 when the first house was sold but the project has no conceivable end; there can only ever be 250 houses in the project and these will be bought and sold infinitum. Once Graft has been exhibited for the last time the houses will disperse to their various owners around the world. The installation can only ever reappear when all the houses are reconvened again at some future time and place.

As an online artwork, Graft contains a virtual flyover of the neighbourhood, a street map with sold and still available sections and animations of the various houses styles available for purchase. Currently, there are a number of single bay homes available for purchase at $3150, visit the website for more information.