The difference between art and torture is consent
Art, is an expression of the human spirit
The legitimacy of art lies in the context in which it is presented
Peaceful city
I cannot walk down the street, approach a stranger, slap them in the face and call it art.
However, I can hire a venue, stage an art show called – ‘The Slap’ and invite people to be slapped, if they wish to
In Hobart, non-consensual public slapping is supported by the government
The granting of permission to use a sonic cannon emitting sound to eight kilometres in radius by an arts festival is equivalent to encouraging violence
The council says it complies with EPA regulations
What if they decide to play the recording of murder and rape?
The council says it doesn’t matter as long as it complies with the permitted loudness levels at the nearest sensitive receiver
Statutory Nuisance
Could be the name of the offical council choir
I walk the dog in winter dusk on a peaceful reserve, only to be slapped by an art director who believes everyone needs to hear the music of Kim Jung Il
No warning, no consent, no invitation,
A slap
More than just a nuisance
It is assault
Other festival activities bring tourists to the peaceful town of Hobart. So the council politely supports the assault
The city lights up in red
It is nice
But I can close my eyes
Unlike sound, which penetrate the bones and walls and eyelids
As the person responsible for the deployment of this sound cannon,
I feel shame and regret
I moved to a new place, accepted a job offer, and became a tool in a militant art organisation, empowering an already powerful man
Where Are You, Dear General?
Is the name of the song, playing every morning in Pyongyang
Also appearing in Hobart, courtesy of the curatorial genius of the general and supreme leader of the Hobart winter arts
My requests to be cautious ignored,
The man became more powerful,
More intoxicated
Deluded by power
Went on a public slapping spree
No doubt,
Some people enjoyed it
I felt shivers down my spine when strings echoed through the buildings
But I knew it was happening
I gave the order to fire the cannon
For the blind, and people in the nearby hospital it was a surprise,
For those who are vulnerable and struggle to be heard it was a surprise
For any Koreans in Hobart it was surely a surprise
Perhaps a nice surprise,
Perhaps an anxiety inducing surprise
There is no telling
Silenced by art with little power to say no
This is my public service
My public apology
“I was just doing my job”
Is a lame excuse
I will continue to protest
To show power the mirror
Reflecting its ugly brutality
In the ever growing loudness of cities and machines, we struggle to hear each other
We struggle to listen
Adding noise to the modern soundscape of urban cacophony is not a virtue
It is not art
It is assault
