Opening at Space 1026 on Jan. 6 will be the show “Unsustainable” by Jay Hardman. In the exhibit, Hardman’s work explores contemporary building practices and their effect on communities through construction of small-scale installations. By far the most inviting aspect of the work is its building material. What does Harman use to create his scenes of construction and architecture? Well, cake, of course.

Hardman began building with cake in order to reflect the chaotic landscape of urban renewal and sprawl taking place in cities across America, most specifically in Philadelphia. “The methodical dividing and carving up of neighborhoods; entire blocks at a time or house by house, mirrored the way a cake would be consumed,” says Hardman. When one takes a drive through Northern Liberties or Fishtown, it’s hard not to notice the similarities. Hard-edged, new apartments pop up against older architectural forms, and in their incomplete states, they appear almost as if they are being chopped up, not being assembled. Pieces of construction material lie strewn about and encroach on the streets reminding us of the old adage that more often than not, things need to get messy before they get organized.

In the holiday spirit of things, these miniature buildings also happen to parallel the time-tested tradition of making gingerbread houses. The image of the witch’s house from the fairytale Hansel and Gretel is another place where Hardman’s ideas lay their foundations. Not all of the components of his worksites are edible, much like glued-together gingerbread and utilize wood, metal and paint to form tiny scaffoldings and house frames.

Not all of Hardman’s work utilizes cake, but he feels that the dessert has ‘an inherent ability to captivate and gratify an audience both visually and conceptually’. One needn’t look much further than the reality television hits about constructing massive and elaborate cake sculptures to see how right he is. If one thing will speak to an audience, it’s certainly their stomachs.

Food and shelter are closely linked necessities for all humans, so the crossover of these two worlds is extremely intriguing. Where does necessity verge on excess or gluttony? How does consumption of edible material mirror the consumption of building materials? Hardman’s choice of the name “Unsustainable” for the show lends us the idea that both aspects of consumption derive their products from limited materials that must be managed and renewed. Both wheat flour for a cake and wooden beams for a building must be grown somewhere, and many people are detached from the source of the production.

No matter how you piece it together, Hardman’s artwork has a lot going on. It is both imaginative and fun, but also asks some serious questions about urban society and consumer culture. The opening reception for “Unsustainable” is Friday, Jan. 6 from 7 to 10 p.m..

Space 1026 is located at 1026 Arch St. on the second floor; 215.574.7630.