Description
This is a photo take at the Jardin Luxembourg in Paris. This was the second stop on my Fellowship. This park inspired me to think about the way that the public use their space. This park had infrastructure, it has hundreds of army green metal seats scattered throughout the park. Some of the seats sat upright and others designed for reclining. There were areas of full sunlight and other areas of shade. There were ponds, fountains, children's playground equipment, shelter for older folks doing some form of exercise with hiking sticks, cafes, buildings, cement areas where adults where facilitating small children to rude scooters and play with bubbles like an outdoor crèche.
Up until the very last few minutes in which I was in the park I noticed that no one was throwing the chairs, or hurting anyone, or stealing them. There were a group of teenagers who decided they wanted to sit too close to the pond and I suddenly heard a whistle from which some park official (not police) but security was gesturing for them to relocate further back to keep the view in condition for all in the area.
This park provided me with an insight that I had been speaking with Ted Purves back in February at the Spectres of Evaluation Conference in Melbourne - the concept of the "Public or Publics". In Australia we (for many reasons) refer much more to the audience even if they are passing by on their way to catch a train. I say this in a broad sense specifically in the performing arts area, while the visual art sectors might reference a participating public; it is still an emerging term.
A term I want to spend more time thinking about. Not just thinking about notions of public space and how i use public space as the site or venue for my artistic work.
But also who are the public? What does this mean in terms of what we call a "public service"? Who blows the whistle when the public want to do something? Who blows the whistle when they get stopped? What kind of artwork do they want to see? Where do they see it? Is it free? Or do we need more space that has opportunity, infrastructure or just some bloody chairs for people to sit and talk, or eat their lunch or relax?
I am keen to consider this term beyond the role of an audience. Audience and the development of them is an afterthought for most artists in Australia. I am keen to bring the public front and centre into my work, as part of the collaboration. I am also going to spend some time thinking beyond the term community, which is also used a lot in Australia, as perhaps this term brings connotations, which not everyone enjoys. Then others feel very connected and would be offended to not be included in their community. Maybe there is a place for all three works.
Audience - Community – Publics - ?
