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August 17, 2007
When I wandered out of the happy shoppers in the Canberra Centre I came across the public square of the official civic buildings --the art and political precinct of Canberra? I was the only person there. Even though Civic square is a non-commodified-- the cultural precinct of Canberra where the new library joins Canberra's theatres, museum and art gallery--- I found it an alienating experience. I was the only person there in this space outside the market.
Gary Sauer-Thompson, Public Library, Canberra, 2007
An empty public square, even though there was little wind and it was sunny. But no people. Was it because there was nothing to attract them, as the public library, Playhouse theatre and the Canberra Art Gallery + Museum were closed. So there was no reason for people to hang around the square. Even the water fountains were not moving. This was no piazza.
Gary Sauer-Thompson, David Jensz's Fractal Weave, Canberra, 2007
The public spaces have been commodified as shopping centres. It's the centres that are the vibrant place in the heart of the city. They speak to us in a seductive language: "good life" is not a matter of having a well-defined list of status goods now possessed by wealthy television personalities. It is an open-ended project of self-creation. The idea is to circulate continually through new experiences, things, and meanings--to play with different identities by consuming the goods and services associated with them. The market promotes a sense of freedom from constraint, an ultimate individuality through commodities.
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You may enjoy this.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XUeFSOEpbUA
Quite an interesting art form