John Hurrell – 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 

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