natalie&doris

And no we aren’t talking about Mickey Stone proclaiming that his storming of Stormont was a performance piece.

I am gossiping about this clever and passionate gang called the SPART Action Group. Just watch this utube here of them rallying us troops together for an art strike, their direct response to some of the profoundly bland art that’s awkwardly stuck in the Laganside area. A new development that Belfast City Council want to redirect all us numpties to, away from the ‘mouth of the river’ (that is now covered up by high street) which is what the word Belfast (Béal Feirste ) actually means. With landmarks such as the Odyssey on this straight I can’t really blame SPART Action Group for calling such a revolution.

If only they could come to Craigavon to visit the wonderful sites and sounds that our District Council are responsible for.

Though I do like John Kindness who is one of the artist’s whose work features on the Laganside – it is the ceramic big fish in the foresaid utube video. He also has a piece in the terribly dated Ulsterbus station in Belfast which most Ulsterbus passengers ignore; either cos they’re too busy making their way to Primark or for the simple fact that they wouldn’t notice art if it was a huge f*@koff waterfall standing right beside them as they were waiting for a bus… so yes the J.K. piece is a huge waterfall situated were people are standing waiting for a bus… it’s made from trashy bits of Irish souvenir pottery that people around Ulster had sent to him to be included in the piece. And this is why I think it’s pretty fun and deserves recognition.

But despite this, I fundamentally agree with SPART’s eccentric reaction to the overwhelming volume of art that doesn’t really mean anything to the people that live there. Measured up nicely by one of the SPART activists in this gem of a comment regarding a particular piece of public art on the Laganside, “What the f*@k’s th’on lady wi’ the f*@kin hoop about.”

So I obviously don’t mind the fact that they decided to don a moustache on the big fish down by the Lagan. Though I personally feel they should of put a balaclava on him, and make that a pair of sunglasses too. Thus suggesting the big fish has become a key player in the art revolution, that I gather will be starting in January 2009.

This Summer, I also had a less than enthusiastic conversation with the woman in charge of the Cultural Olympiad in Northern Ireland. I was left very empty by the fierce control over what is allowed to be recognised as art and culture here. So you will understand what a joy it was for me to see the same gang commandeering the SPART Action Winter Olympics earlier this year around Belfast. The SPART think tank producing new Olympic sports such as bin hoaking and ouija boggle.

Can I propose Craigavon hosts the next one?

Doris