Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 04:14:04 +1100 From: Paul Canning <pride-AT-geko.net.au> Subject: PUBLIC ART PROJECT CENSORSED ------------ MEDIA RELEASE For immediate release ------------ SOUTH SYDNEY COUNCIL CENSORS PUBLIC ART PROJECT! PRIDE and Artspace deplore the action of the South Sydney Council in the removal of the site specific public art project billboard by Gay Asian artists Eugene Ho and Andrew Ewing as part of the Reinscribing Pleasure installations, a 1997 Mardi Gras Festival event. The project was developed and erected with full approval from the South Sydney Council in collaboration with PRIDE and Artspace. The billboard was erected by the Council last week and removed by them on Tuesday 10 February without the consent of or any consultation with the artists, curators, PRIDE or Artspace. We view this action as blatant censorship and irresponsible as there was no consultation process attempted by the South Sydney Council. There was a six month period of working closely with the Council and Reinscribing Pleasure received some funding from Council. The project was fully supported by that department. " Billboards are an accepted and recognized medium for Artists to use and there have been countless projects both nationally and internationally using billboards the most recent being the Sydney Festival at the Rocks and the Australian Centre for Photography/Australian posters" said Nicholas Tsoutas from Artspace. "The Reinscribing Skin is an Art Installation by two artists who worked collaboratively in consultation with the SSC within the Community Arts project Reinscribing Pleasure and was appropriately located in the centre of the Gay and Lesbian community. The artists have chosen to utilise the media of advertising and telecommunications not only to address a potentially large and diverse audience, but also importantly, because it is the mass communications media that have enabled the rapid global circulation and normalisation of ethnocentric inscriptions, as well as the banal homogenisation of cultural difference for consumption in the global marketplace, and are thus a priority for cultural-political intervention." Said project curator Jason Prior. Bronte Morris, Executive Officer of PRIDE stated: "We deplore this action and we urge the South Sydney Council to urgently reinstate the work and to re erect the billboard frame in Guilligan’s Island in order to continue with the scheduled construction of the next project by Happy Yin Yen Ho" "Given the fact that the Council erected the billboard and sponsored Reinscribing Pleasure we are somewhat surprised and shocked that after the extensive consultation process the billboard was removed by the Council" she said. "Reinscribing Pleasure is the first Gay and Lesbian project of this kind and it would be a great loss if this medium becomes the victim of censorship and if the council is offended by anything sexually transgressive" We will continue to work closely with the Council on the remaining projects and to have discourse with them to ensure that the next project will go ahead as scheduled. The number printed on the billboard is still active, call 1900 155 125 - Photos of the billboard are available For more information contact Bronte Morris on (02) 9331 1333 or Nicholas Tsoutas on (02) 9368 1899 ------------------------ Receipients of this message concerned by the council's actions should call or fax the council. ----0---- -- PRIDE Sydney Gay & Lesbian Community Centre Limited ------- e-mail: pride-AT-geko.net.au - - fax: (02) 9331 1199 - - ph: (02) 9331 1333 - post: PO Box 7, Darlinghurst NSW 2010 Australia --- from list avant-garde-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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