24 January 2007

Ngunnawal public artwork

| Kerces
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Arts minister Jon Stanhope launched a Ngunnawal public artwork today.

Ngunnawal artwork

The work is titled Reclamation: Culture, Spirit and Place and was designed by Sandra Hill from Western Australia and Jim Williams of the Ngunnawal. Ms Hill said, “The artwork celebrates the survival of the spirit, the courage and the dignity shown by the Ngunnawal people as they move into the future.”

In what seems to be a rather cheap way to build a public artwork, Mr Stanhope has seen fit to appropriate a public asset, namely the two poster silos, to push his own political agenda. Although he has promised there are other silos under construction elsewhere in Civic, one wonders how long it will be until the first posters are plastered on the artwork.

And on a side note, I did wonder about the survival of spirit, courage and dignity this gentleman was displaying not 50 metres from the new work.

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Apparently not, hence the Chief Minister’s opening speech: “I’d like to acknowledge the prior ownership of the Ngunnawal People, untalented sods…”

neanderthalsis1:38 pm 30 Jan 07

It’s interesting that they used a West Australian as principal artist on the project. Surely there is sufficient local talent amongst the Ngunnawal people to have managed the project.

You can be sorry that something bad happened to someone, without having actually done it to them yourself.

And you can be sorry that they and their people continue to live in very poor conditions.

Woody Mann-Caruso9:27 pm 25 Jan 07

How can they sleep at night these days knowing the carnage that the socialist North Vietnamese introduced once the septics pulled out.

Probably the same way you can sleep at night knowing the carnage the English and their succesive colonial governments introduced on Aborigines, but feel the need to call it a “black arm-band view of history”.

Perhaps we could get a couple of photos of non-Aboriginal buskers next time? You know, to remove the taint of Today Tonight-esque editorialising?

In the mean time, where will people put up posters to advertise their events

Am I the only one who can see the irony of a bunch of immigrants and their descendants complaining about Aboriginal people stealing their public space? Reminds me of the Tent Embassy – I mean, how dare those people just stroll in and erect structures wherever they feel like it? They’ll want the vote next!

I’ve got to say this really does look a bit crappy – not the artwork, but the way it’s been presented. You can still see all bits of poster paste underneath.

But the more important point is, why there? That was prime postering real estate. There‘s a ridiculous lack of legal postering spots around civic as it is, and while they claim they’ll put up new silos elsewhere, I can’t see them being erected in a hurry. In the mean time, where will people put up posters to advertise their events?

Actually, at first sight I thought it was something promoting Chinese New Year. What is it…Year of the Pig (hmmm, Pig…how appropriate for Stanhope).

Looks more like a confluence of Japanese and Fusion art over any local styles.

Another example of people plugging any old thing, giving it a traditional sounding name, and onselling it to some stupid idiot with a big chequebook.

I bet whoever produced this thing applied for indig. grants to produce it as well.

*sigh*

I could always create a haven for bogans to protect them from the outside world and get a $300k windfall for my efforts I suppose.

There are protests against the Chinese Government in Garema place most days. If you want to help i am sure they would appreciate your assistance.

Also you may remember the Falun Gong would protest outside the Chinese Embassy, but i think the Feds banned them protesting there. That may be why you can’t remember them.

Christ, what’s next for Civic: a statue of “Hanoi” Jane?????

cant recall the last time i saw a protest against the vile repressive dictatorships in vietnam, north korea, china etc.

they were cowards then and they will never change.

Wonder how long before a greenie posts a Tucker poster on it or perhaps Aidan Bruford spray paints some graffiti over it?

What a fcuking waste of money.

What votes are there in it?

VYBerlinaV8_now with_added_grunt8:37 pm 24 Jan 07

Looks shithouse. What a crappy way to promote what could have been interesting and attractive.

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