Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to EyeContact. You are invited to respond to reviews and contribute to discussion by registering to participate.

JH

Pitiful One Day Sculpture

AA
View Discussion

A tiresomely indulgent strokefest for academics, 1440 minutes was an under-researched waste of money, highlighting the well known student apathy of our times, and the just as well known but rarely faced-up-to, prevalence of art world stupidity.

Albert Park Rotunda

Auckland

 

Bik van der Pol

1440 minutes towards the development of a site (one day sculpture)

Curated by Laura Preston

 

8 April 2009

 

This is one of those embarrassing public projects where the art world has its head up its own arse, dreamily blissful in its solipsism - and effective communication with a wider outside audience is ignored.

Focussing over a 24 hour period on the Band Rotunda at Albert Park as a site for potential public debate and possible student activism, nothing happened out of the ordinary - except for the mandatory stragglers from the art institutions popping in for a confab with their pals.

A publication done through the artist residency at Elam was eagerly distributed to a motley assortment of baffled passers by, and the electronic signage portentously counting away the minutes looked pretty, casting an impressively ominous red glow on the circular structure in the night-time hours.

Other than that, the whole event was a disaster: an anti-climax - for a debate has to be genuinely desired by its participants; it can’t be concocted or force fed. Consequently nobody had anything to say, nor was anybody particularly surprised.

A tiresomely indulgent strokefest for academics, 1440 minutes was an under-researched waste of money, highlighting the well known student apathy of our times, and the just as well known but rarely faced-up-to, prevalence of art world stupidity.

- John Hurrell 

 

Print | Facebook | Twitter | Email

 

Recent Posts by John Hurrell

JH
Selina Foote, Berthe, 2025, acrylic and graphite on canvas, 600 x 500 mm

Foote’s Balustrades

TWO ROOMS

Selina Foote

 

The Balcony

 

15 August - 27 September 2025

JH
Tony de Lautour, Black Mountain 2 2025, acrylic on canvas, 750 x 1000mm

Obliterated Titular Language

IVAN ANTHONY GALLERY

Tony de Lautour

 

Location

 

26 July - 23 August 2025

JH
Richard Killeen, Catspiralcatspiral (9458), 2025, Ink jet and Bona Mega Matt varnish on ACM, 1000 x 480mm

Containing Meaning

IVAN ANTHONY GALLERY

Richard Killeen

 

Jar

 

26 July - 23 August 2025

JH
Steve Carr, Many Steves, 2025, pigment inkjet print; diptych each 1524 x 1016mm unframed, 1550 x 1045 x 35mm framed, 1550 x 2090mm framed overall Edition of 3 plus 1 artist's proof

Chortle Chuckle Carr

GOW LANGSFORD GALLERY

Steve Carr

 

How to Disappear

 

30 July - 23 August 2025