[Nettime-bold] Public Domain Blues on Trafalgar Square...

[Patrice Riemens <patrice@xs4all.nl>]

----- Forwarded message from Gil Doron <g_doron@YAHOO.COM> -----
Subject:      The public art project "The Bad-Sheets" in Trafalgar Sq. was
              confiscated by the Heritage Warder
Comments: To: transgressivearchitecture@hotmail.com



The public art project "The Bad-Sheets" in Trafalgar Sq. was confiscated by the Heritage Warder.  

Transgressive Architecture's public art project which was installed in Trafalgar Square on Monday, opposite
Rachel Whitehead's plinth was confiscated by the heritage warden who patrols the square.

Five minutes after the instalment of the "Bad Sheets" public art project by Transgressive Architecture group,
Trafalgar's heritage warden (I.D. 2546) instructed the group to remove the installation saying that "the square
is not a public space but is private property of the GLC". According to him any art project, even if a
temporary one, has to be permitted and licensed.

Such a permit to put the Bad Sheets in Trafalgar Square was not requested by the TA since the objective of the
art project was to question what public art is and to criticize the requirement to license (public) art.
Transgressive Architecture also believed that in any case such a permit would not be given by the local council
since the art project is a direct critique of the social cleansing of public spaces by Westminster council and
the GLA.

After a short argument about the nature of the square and its possible uses Transgressive Architecture decided
to continue its intervention - this time without the Bad Sheets, but with the pigeons in the square. The group
used seeds to draw a line from the voided space where the Bad Sheets were supposed to be to the area of
Whitehead plinth. In response the warder confiscated the "Bad Sheets" which were lying inside a closed bag near
one of the fountains.

The group is going to submit an official complaint about the warden's behaviour. Moreover, at the beginning of
July Transgressive Architecture is going to create another larger public art installation in Trafalgar Square.

Until than the next 2 sites for the Bad Sheets public art installation will be 
Bloomsbury Square  on June 14th 
Leicester Square on June 24th. 

Further details from: transgressivearchitecture@hotmail.com or 07796928215



Gil M. Doron, Writer, Artist
Lecturer at University of North London and University of East London 
Schools of Architecture 
Ph.D.researcher, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
E-mail: g_doron@yahoo.com
4 Nevena Court, 90 Effra Rd. 
London SW2 1BT
Tel: 07796928215
Home page: http://www.gildoron.com


----- End forwarded message -----


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