Locals fuming over "doomsday clock" installation
Residents of Fitzroy have been left divided after the local council erected an $18,000 art installation with a poignant message.
The controversial installation, erected in Fitzroy’s Edinburgh Gardens, features a countdown clock tracking the days, hours, and minutes until 2030 — a pivotal year for climate action in Australia, marked by key national and international targets.
The piece was created by local artist Yandell Walton and is dubbed "Zone Red", with Walton saying it's the first time she's "created anything to this scale", intended to emphasise the urgency of reducing carbon emissions in order to mitigate global warming.
According to Walton, Zone Red confronts the urgent reality of climate change by "visually embodying the countdown to a critical moment in our planet’s future."
"The clock, powered by the sun and harnessing renewable energy, becomes a symbol of both our resilience and our vulnerability," the City of Yarra said in a statement.
"As each second passes, the installation is a stark reminder of the approaching deadline, creating a powerful juxtaposition between the impending sense of alarm and the hope for change."
With many dubbing the work as the "doomsday clock", many have been left divided over the piece, with some people calling it a waste of taxpayer money, while others praising the urgency of its message.
One local praised the artist, telling 7News, "It's kind of cool ... it makes you think."
When asked about the price coughed up by taxpayers, the woman said "I don't know if it's a lot of money in the scheme of art installations", while another said "it's just another reminder that the world's going to be on fire".
On the other end of the scale, one local man hit out at what he described as "bulls**t in my face".
"Truthfully, it's just crap," he said. "I'd like to just keep living peacefully and happily and enjoy this park."
The sentiment was echoed online, with one local woman writing, "No more money wasted on taxpayers funds. It’s a disgrace what all the councils are doing without community involvement."
"Something has to be done about this. Imagine knowing your money is being wasted like that," another man commented.
The original plinth once features a statue of Queen Victoria until it vanished mysteriously more than 120 years ago. In April next year, the artwork will again be replaced under the City's Edinburgh Gardens Plinth Program.
Image credits: 7News