NAKED CITY: MORE BITE IN THE BIENNALE!
The 18th Biennale of Sydney kicks off in late June and as usual offers an extensive program of works from some 100 artists drawn from all over the world. There’s some exciting stuff this year but we’re wondering whether any of the installations or performances pieces will generate real controversy, raising the ire of the tabloid media and the protectors of public decency.
In May of 2011 Chinese performance artist Cheng Li was sentenced to a year of “re-education” in a labour camp after engaging in “unsimulated” sex with a female partner during an art show in Beijing. The piece entitled “Art Whore” was intended as a metaphor for the prostitution of the art world. Needless to say Chen won’t be reprising his performance at this year’s Biennale and we have to ask, what has happened to good old confrontation?
During the 80s and 90s many artists were definitely out to shock and galleries and art events prepared to cop the political and moral flak from including their works. Take the infamous “Piss Christ”, a work by Andres Serrano featuring a small plastic crucifix submerged in a glass of the artist’s own urine. It caused an enormous stink when exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1997 and was eventually withdrawn after two irate protestors attacked it with a hammer.
Despite a world still filled with war, conflict and some of the most appallingly abuses of human rights, not to mention the rape of the environment, art seems to have taken a less than confrontational back seat when it comes to stirring public emotions. You can be confident that the forthcoming Biennale will include some really thought provoking pieces but will anybody be deconstructing the works with a pick axe?
There are so many suggestions we’d like to make when it comes to putting some bite back into the Biennale, like declaring Cockatoo Island a clothing optional venue. But if the organizers really want to put some teeth into the event why not bring Punch Me Panda to Sydney. Punch Me is the creation of New York performance artist Nate Hill who roams the city and its subway encouraging its citizens to unleash their anger by thumping him on his protective vest. In a city renowned for both its commuter frustration and alcohol fuelled dander, the PM Panda would be an overnight sensation!
A nightly performance outside Scruffy Murphy’s in the CBD would be a highlight as would a theatrical push and shove on the 7.30pm train from Blacktown. Thousands would queue at the MCA and Art Gallery of NSW to pump the Panda and even Julia Gillard would should her support by delivering a well placed head butt. Talk back radio would ignite with complaints that the Panda was only encouraging violence but once everybody had stopped laughing we would soon realise the futility of aggression and gather for a massive love in on Cockatoo Island – in the nude of course!
The Hit List: Following the success of the first Sydney Robot Fair held at the Chauvel Cinema a few years ago the Mu-Meson Archives and the Fantastic Planet Film Festival are presenting Robot Mania at the Mu-Meson Archives on Sunday 18th March from 1pm. The fair will feature stallholders selling tin toy robots and space toys as well as movie memorabilia, 16mm screenings of rare robot movies, a robot building workshop with Miss Death using recycled materials from Reverse Garbage and lots more. If you happen to be a robot collector and would like to have a stall or participate in any other way the Archives would like to hear from you on 9517 2010. www.mumeson.org
