File spoon-archives/avant-garde.archive/avant-garde_1997/97-02-19.172, message 94


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
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                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


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