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King Charles' official portrait vandalised

<p>The first offical portrait of King Charles has been vandalised by a group of animal rights activists. </p> <p>The portrait, which is hanging in London's Philip Mould gallery until June 21st, was targeted by campaign group Animal Rising, who took to the painting with a paint roller to stick signs over the portrait of the monarch.</p> <p>A video posted to the group's social media accounts captured the vandalism, showing the moment two activists covered the king’s head with an image of the British cartoon character Wallace, from the Wallace and Gromit comedy series.</p> <p>A speech bubble sign was then also tacked onto the painting with the following caption, “No cheese Gromit, look at all of this cruelty on RSCPA farms.”</p> <p>The action was designed to bring attention to a new report, released on Sunday by the group, which investigated 45 farms whose welfare standards are guaranteed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), while the Animal Rising group described their findings as “damning,” alleging that they found “severe animal cruelty” at all farms visited.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">‼️BREAKING: No Cheese Gromit! King Charles Portrait Redecorated‼️ <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyalFamily</a> </p> <p>‼️Find out why King Charles, Patron of the RSPCA should ask them to drop the Assured Scheme -&gt; <a href="https://t.co/pTneW0QCWf">https://t.co/pTneW0QCWf</a> 👈 <a href="https://t.co/jYLHFuxtHB">pic.twitter.com/jYLHFuxtHB</a></p> <p>— Animal Rising (@AnimalRising) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnimalRising/status/1800498356441198721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>The vandalism was also a direct response of  King Charles became the royal patron of the RSPCA last month despite the allegations of animal cruelty, as the monarch is a self-professed animal lover. </p> <p>In a statement provided to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/06/11/vegan-activists-vandalise-portrait-of-king/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Telegraph</a>, an Animal Rising activist explained, “With King Charles being such a big fan of ‘Wallace and Gromit,’ we couldn’t think of a better way to draw his attention to the horrific scenes on RSPCA Assured farms! Even though we hope this is amusing to His Majesty, we also call on him to seriously reconsider if he wants to be associated with the awful suffering across farms being endorsed by the RSPCA.”</p> <p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clxaj1nt7000g3b6ldc3v3ptz@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">The RSPCA responded to Animal Rising’s claims in a statement provided to CNN on Tuesday, stating that “any concerns about welfare on RSPCA Assured certified farms are taken extremely seriously and RSPCA Assured is acting swiftly to look into these allegations.”</p> <p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clxaj3ers000n3b6l776d50zk@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">“We have responded openly and transparently to Animal Rising’s challenges to our farming work,” the statement continued. “While we understand that Animal Rising, like us, want the best for animals, their activity is a distraction and a challenge to the work we are all doing to create a better world for every animal.”</p> <p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clxaj3ypx000p3b6lwmbijygj@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">The organisation also said it was “shocked” by the vandalism of the painting, saying “We welcome scrutiny of our work, but we cannot condone illegal activity of any kind.”</p> <p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clxah17cu00003b6lms79fnj7@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">According to Philip Mould, owner of the gallery where the portrait is on display, the painting sustained “no damage” since it was protected by a layer of Perspex, as Mould told CNN the adhesive stickers used by the activists stayed on the portrait for “less than ten seconds.”</p> <p data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clxah17cu00003b6lms79fnj7@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true"><em>Image credits: X (Animal Rising - Twitter)</em></p>

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Woolies store vandalised over controversial Australia Day decision

<p>A Woolworths Metro store in Brisbane has been vandalised over the supermarket giant's controversial decision to not stock Australia Day merchandise. </p> <p>The Woolies in the north-east suburb of Teneriffe was hit with a flare and graffitied with the message "5 days 26 Jan Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Woolies f*** u” on the side of the building. </p> <p>One local shared on social media that a flare was also set off at the front entrance, setting off the fire alarm about 5am on Monday morning, shortly after staff were seen cleaning the graffiti. </p> <p>Queensland Fire and Emergency Services confirmed three crews “responded to an alarm activation” at the store, where firefighters found smoke at the scene and ventilated the area. </p> <p>They left the vandalised store at 6am, where police took over the scene. </p> <p>“Thankfully no team members or customers were injured as this occurred before the store opened,” a Woolworths spokesperson said in a statement.</p> <p>“We’re grateful to the police and fire brigade who attended."</p> <p>“There’s no reason for vandalism and we’ll continue to liaise with Queensland Police.”</p> <p>The vandalism comes just days after the supermarket giant <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/woolworths-under-fire-for-dropping-australia-day-merch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> they would not be stocking any specialised merch ahead of Australia Day. </p> <p>Woolworths shared that the reason for pulling Aussie decorations off the shelves was due to the “gradual decline” in demand for the merchandise over the years and “broader discussion” about the January 26th date and “what it means” to different parts of the community.</p> <p>“While Australian flags are sold within BIG W all year round, we don’t have any additional themed merchandise available to purchase in-store in our Supermarkets or BIG W ahead of Australia Day,” a spokesperson said.</p> <p>“We know many people like to use this day as a time to get together and we offer a huge variety of products to help customers mark the day as they choose.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News / Shutterstock</em></p>

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Transgress to impress: why do people tag buildings – and are there any solutions?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/flavia-marcello-403040">Flavia Marcello</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>In 1985 photographer Rennie Ellis <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8707788">defined graffiti</a> as “the result of someone’s urge to say something – to comment, inform, entertain, persuade, offend or simply to confirm his or her own existence here on earth”. Since the mid-1980s, graffiti has crossed from vandalism to an accepted form of art practice through large murals or “pieces” and stencil art aimed at informing, entertaining and persuading us.</p> <p>But these are outnumbered by the tags you see everywhere. These stylised icon-type signatures define a hand style and confirm their author’s existence on Earth. These, for many of us, remain an eyesore. If you walk through an urban environment filled with tags, you may feel less safe. Heavily tagged areas can suggest the area is not cared for or surveilled.</p> <p>So why are Australian cities so full of tags? The problem is, the main solution proven to work is expensive. When tags go up, paint over them – and keep doing it. While anti-graffiti paint exists, it’s not widely used at present.</p> <h2>Why do people tag?</h2> <p>Graffiti in urban centres is often tied to the world-wide proliferation of hip-hop culture. Along with DJing, rapping and breakdancing, “Graf” or “writing” is considered one of its <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/hip-hop">four pillars</a>.</p> <p>Posturing (or showing off) is a big part of tagging. When you see a tag on a freeway overpass or seemingly inaccessible building parapet, it’s not only confirming the tagger’s existence, it’s bragging. See how high I climbed! See what crazy risks I took!</p> <p>As one tagger in Sydney’s outer south-western suburb of Campbelltown <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/vandalism-graffiti-state-rail-authority-nsw.pdf">told researchers</a> in the 1980s:</p> <blockquote> <p>If you get on a train and see your name and know you’ve been here before that’s real good. Like, I was here. Or you see your mate’s name and you can say, hey, I know him […] It’s really good if you can get your name up in a difficult place where nobody else has. Other kids look at that and think, great!</p> </blockquote> <p>So why do people tag?</p> <ul> <li> <p>it boosts self-esteem and a sense of belonging to a social network, particularly for teens experiencing alienation at school</p> </li> <li> <p>it demonstrates bravado. Risky places have the added advantages of being both highly visible and harder to remove</p> </li> <li> <p>it gives graf artists practice for bigger pieces. You have to work quickly and accurately, especially in precarious positions where you could get caught at any moment.</p> </li> </ul> <p>While cities like Melbourne <a href="https://www.timeout.com/melbourne/art/where-to-find-the-best-street-art-in-melbourne">have embraced</a> larger murals and pieces as street art – even making them a tourist attraction – tagging isn’t regarded the same way.</p> <p>So why do non-taggers hate it? On a broader level, tagging can signify a sense of social degradation which makes people feel less safe.</p> <p>There’s no clear link between <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rip/rip6">more graffiti and more crime</a>. Even so, the public perception is that tagging is a sign warning of the presence of <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/vandalism-graffiti-state-rail-authority-nsw.pdf">disaffected and potentially violent</a> people in gangs.</p> <p>Asked to picture a tagger and you will most likely come up with a stock photo stereotype: a male teenager in a hoodie from a seedy area. But you would not be completely right. It is true just under half (46%) of graffiti damage and related offences are committed by 14 to 16 year old males, but the largest percentage of offenders actually come from <a href="https://www.goodbyegraffiti.wa.gov.au/Schools/Facts-for-Students/Who-are-the-most-likely-offenders-of-graffiti">middle- to high-income families</a>.</p> <p>So what tools do we have to manage it?</p> <h2>Punishment</h2> <p>It’s perfectly legal to commission a graf artist to paint a wall of a building you own. Many people do this to avoid a street-facing wall being tagged. For it to be illegal, tagging or graffiti has to be done without the owner’s permission.</p> <p>Since the majority of taggers are under 18, if they’re caught, punishment will usually include a caution, fines (presumably paid by bemused but cashed up parents) and cleaning off tags.</p> <p>But punitive measures only go so far because the appeal of graffiti is the transgression. Other measures include keeping spray paint locked away or not for sale to under 18s as well as zero-tolerance rapid removal. This can work for a while, but taggers know their tags are temporary. It’s a constant game of cat and mouse a committed tagger will eventually win.</p> <h2>Technical solutions</h2> <p>If you’ve walked past workers scrubbing or pressure washing tags off walls, you may have wondered why there are no coatings which don’t let paint stick.</p> <p>These actually <a href="https://www.ipcm.it/en/article/anti-graffiti-paints-what-are-they-and-how-they-work.aspx">do exist</a>, and can work well. When in place, you can remove graffiti with a solvent rather than having to repaint. But they’re not widely used.</p> <p>Unless paints such as <a href="https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/7-inventions-from-mexico-that-would-go-on-to-change-the-world">Deletum 3000</a> are used everywhere this approach is unlikely to be effective.</p> <h2>Prevention</h2> <p>The problem with punitive and technical measures is the limited reach. The vast majority of unwanted graffiti <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rip/rip6">goes unreported</a>. That’s why prevention is becoming more popular.</p> <p>How do you prevent tagging? By making it easier to report. By setting aside areas for taggers and graf artists. By commissioning pieces to deter graffers from illegal modes. And by talking directly to taggers about strategies. But these behaviour change efforts take time.</p> <p>People who hate tagging often believe taggers are motivated by negative emotions such as <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rip/rip6">boredom and rebelliousness</a>. For them it’s vandalism, a criminal act associated with gangs, petty crime, broken windows and a less attractive environment to live in.</p> <p>But the truth is, taggers are often motivated by positive emotions. Tagging, for them, brings pride, pleasure, enjoyment and community. That’s why behaviour change approaches can be hard.</p> <h2>So what’s the best way forward?</h2> <p>In the 1990s, many cities declared war on skateboarders, using punishment and installing metal stoppers on well-skated urban areas. But the real solution was simpler: create skate parks.</p> <p>For taggers, the answer may be similar. Give them spaces such as little-used alleyways to practise their art. And for the rest of us, the solution may be to look at tags with different eyes. Not as a sign of crime and the collapse of civilisation, but as a need for validation, for transgression, for community and all the other things you probably wanted when you were a teenager.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205492/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/flavia-marcello-403040">Flavia Marcello</a>, Professor of Design History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/transgress-to-impress-why-do-people-tag-buildings-and-are-there-any-solutions-205492">original article</a>.</em></p>

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“This is disgusting”: Mural for murdered women defaced with graffiti

<p dir="ltr">A street artist has been captured painting over a mural depicting the names and photos of women murdered across Australia in acts of domestic violence. </p> <p dir="ltr">The mural, plastered on Melbourne’s famous Hosier Lane, depicts some of the almost 80 women killed since the start of 2023, and the locations they died around Australia. </p> <p dir="ltr">The mural also shows the alarming statistics of domestic violence across Australia in data compiled by <a href="https://australianfemicidewatch.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The RED HEART Campaign</a> - an ongoing memorial project dedicated to tracking the known women and children killed in acts of gendered violence.</p> <p dir="ltr">The mural was painted in the lane on International Women’s Day (March 8th), and was defaced just 10 days later. </p> <p dir="ltr">An unknown street artist was captured on video spray painting over the women’s faces, with the words “13 WOLF 69” covering most of the mural, as the beginning of a large orange text covering the southeast corner of the map.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">When murdered women are erased for the second time! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/femicide?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#femicide</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shematters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#shematters</a> <a href="https://t.co/TYpLQFmpCx">pic.twitter.com/TYpLQFmpCx</a></p> <p>— Sherele Moody (Femicide Researcher) 🌈 (@ShereleMoody) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShereleMoody/status/1636880510269128705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The video, posted by the campaign founder Sherele Moody, then pans slowly to capture the artist still spraying the wall with orange paint – what seem to be the finishing touches to the large piece that stretches for metres toward Flinders Street.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s more important, that’s lovely,” someone can be heard sarcastically saying in the footage.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s not even art!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sherele captioned the video as an example of “when murdered women are erased for a second time”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The dude could have moved his scribble a few feet and not painted over the faces of murdered women,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Lane is pretty big – there’s room for all of us!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Supporters of the campaign immediately reacted in disgust to the “selfish, heartless artist”, with many saying the disregard for the mural really “hurts”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What the actual f,” one woman wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is disgusting. This is about murdered women and a memorial. When did we become so disrespectful.”</p> <p dir="ltr">While most of the backlash was in support of the advocates, others questioned whether the artist was even aware of what he had done or was partially covering. </p> <p dir="ltr">Others simply said it was the harsh nature of Melbourne’s internationally renowned street art culture.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Twitter</em></p>

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"Leave the kids alone": WorldPride mural vandalised

<p>A controversial mural in Sydney’s CBD has been vandalised with black paint in the midst of Sydney’s 2023 WorldPride festival.</p> <p>The mural features Vladimir Putin wearing a teddy bear mask drinking a white Russian in bondage straps, located on York Street in Wynyard.</p> <p>The topless man caused controversy as it was “kink and BDSM-inspired”.</p> <p>Vandals painted over it, as well as writing “leave the kids alone”.</p> <p>NSW Police said they were informed the paint was splashed over the mural around 9:30pm.</p> <p>"Police attended the scene, seizing a number of items which have been taken for further examination," NSW Police said in a statement.</p> <p>"About four hours later, police were called back to the scene after more paint was splashed onto the artwork.”</p> <p>An investigation is underway, and police are appealing for anyone with information to contact Day Street Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.</p> <p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/sydney/comments/118x5ud/as_a_gay_guy_im_disappointed_in_this/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An image of the mural prior to the vandalisation</a> appeared on Reddit, and it received a lot of engagement.</p> <p>The original poster captioned the photo, “As a gay guy, I’m disappointed in this advertisement. There’s kids everywhere, that would definitely traumatise me as a child … It’s for Mardi Gras, marketing fail in my opinion.<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">”</span></p> <p>“Yeah it's not really appropriate for kids.” Another said.</p> <p>“It’s not appropriate, period.” Read another comment.</p> <p><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@peterconway/video/7202935518064135425?q=sydney%20mural%20vandalised%20moeyreacts&amp;t=1677192736805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A video of the graffitied mural</a> then appeared on TikTok, with most users seemingly happy it had been defaced.</p> <p>“Not all heroes wear capes,” one user commented, referencing the vandals.</p> <p>"Looks so much better." Another added.</p> <p>The mural had been commissioned by YCK Laneways, which operates retail, hospitals and entertainment business in Sydney’s CBD.</p> <p>The City of Sydney and WorldPrise organisers stated they did not commission the mural.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Reddit/TikTok</em></p>

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Graffiti grandma banned by council

<p dir="ltr">A fed up grandma who helped motorists avoid huge potholes has been banned by the local council.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jenny Hartich from the NSW Central Coast has taken it upon herself to spray paint warning signs or colourful animals around and near potholes.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 76-year-old said she was sick of waiting for the council to fix the roads and knew she had to take matters in her own hands.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No, I've been fixing it, doing it and getting it done, getting them filled,” she told <em>A Current Affair.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“The community have donated money and donated spray cans just to keep me going to keep everyone safe. They know they're coming up to a pothole.”</p> <p dir="ltr">But despite her helpful work, Jenny said she has been banned from warning motorists for her own safety and requested she take photos of the potholes and send it to them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They didn't want to see me splattered on the road.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Severe rain has caused many potholes to open up on NSW roads with drivers becoming frustrated waiting for compensation from the government.</p> <p dir="ltr">Transport for NSW (TFNSW) said more than 1,000 claims for damage have been made between March and June this year.</p> <p dir="ltr">Only 82 of the claims have been processed due to a delay in investigations.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When a claim is received, an investigation into the condition of the road is carried out," a TFNSW spokesperson said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Factors such as the incident location and date as well as inspection and maintenance records are taken into consideration to determine whether there is potential liability and the claim may be accepted."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: A Current Affair</em></p>

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Soup on Van Gogh and graffiti on Warhol: climate activists follow the long history of museums as a site of protest

<p>Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans at the National Gallery of Australia are just the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/nov/09/climate-activists-target-andy-warhols-campbells-soup-cans-at-australias-national-gallery">latest artistic target</a> of climate protesters, who have been throwing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/14/just-stop-oil-activists-throw-soup-at-van-goghs-sunflowers">soup</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/climate-protesters-throw-mashed-potatoes-at-monet-painting/2022/10/23/cc39e636-52f0-11ed-ac8b-08bbfab1c5a5_story.html">mashed potatoes</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/climate-protesters-throw-mashed-potatoes-at-monet-painting/2022/10/23/cc39e636-52f0-11ed-ac8b-08bbfab1c5a5_story.html">cake</a> at art worth millions of dollars.</p> <p>The actions have received a <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/in-doha-four-museum-directors-talk-the-climate-protests-1234644472/">muted response</a> from some museum directors, but the protesters know exactly what they are doing. </p> <p>As the activists who threw soup on Van Gogh’s Sunflowers <a href="https://www.frieze.com/article/interview-just-stop-oil">said, "</a>We know that civil resistance works. History has shown us that."</p> <p>Indeed, there is a long history of museums and art being used for political protest.</p> <h2>For women’s suffrage and women artists</h2> <p>In 1914, suffragette Mary Richardson <a href="https://womensarttours.com/slashing-venus-suffragettes-and-vandalism/">slashed</a> the canvas of Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus at London’s National Gallery. </p> <p>Richardson wanted to attract publicity to Emmeline Pankhurst’s imprisonment for her suffragette actions. Richardson selected this painting in part because of its value, and because of “the way men visitors gaped at it all day long”.</p> <p>Her tactics are credited as <a href="https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/just-stop-oil-protests-museums-environmental-activism/">motivating</a> Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil.</p> <p>Since 1985, the <a href="https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/25207/1/Camillabrownpaper.pdf">Guerrilla Girls</a> have been exposing sexual and racial discrimination in the art world.</p> <p>Their actions have usually occurred at the outskirts of museums: in museum foyers, on nearby billboards and on New York City buses. Perhaps their most famous work <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/guerrilla-girls-do-women-have-to-be-naked-to-get-into-the-met-museum-p78793">asked</a>: “do women have to be naked to get into the Met Museum?”</p> <h2>Against corporate sponsorship and artwashing</h2> <p><a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/decolonize-this-place-kanders-whitney-nine-weeks-of-art-and-action-12207/">Decolonize this Place</a> brings together campaigns against racial and economic inequality. </p> <p>They organised a campaign beginning in 2018 targeting the then vice-chair of New York’s Whitney Museum, Warren B. Kander, whose company sold tear gas that had reportedly been used against asylum seekers along the US-Mexico border. </p> <p>The campaign’s first event was held in the museum’s foyer. <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/no-space-profiteer-state-violence-decolonize-place-protests-whitney-vice-chair-warren-b-kanders-11507/">Protesters burned sage</a> to mimic tear gas, which wafted through the lobby until the fire department arrived. </p> <p>The protesters argued Kander’s business interests meant he was not fit to lead a globally significant cultural heritage institution that sought relevance for a wide and diverse public constituency. Kander <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/arts/whitney-warren-kanders-resigns.html">resigned</a> from the museum’s board in 2019.</p> <p>Since 2018, artist <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sackler-nan-goldin-victoria-albert-1704450">Nan Goldin</a> and her “Opioid Activist Group” have been staging “die-ins” at the museum to protest against the galleries named for sponsorship from the Sackler family.</p> <p>The Sackler family business is Purdue Pharma, infamous for OxyContin, a major drug in the US <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/03/1084163626/purdue-sacklers-oxycontin-settlement">opioid crisis</a>. </p> <p>Activists have targeted galleries around the world, and so far the Sackler name has been removed from galleries including the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/18/arts/sackler-family-museums.html">Louvre</a>, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/mar/25/british-museum-removes-sackler-family-name-from-galleries">British Museum</a>, the <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sackler-name-change-guggenheim-museum-2110993">Guggenheim</a> and, as of last month, the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/oct/01/campaigners-celebrate-as-va-severs-sackler-links-over-opioids-cash">Victoria and Albert Museum</a>.</p> <h2>For the return of cultural artefacts</h2> <p>The highest-profile actions against the British Museum have targeted its rejection of calls to return objects including the <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/parthenon-marbles-british-museum-protest-1234632365/">Parthenon Marbles</a> of Greece, the <a href="https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/british-museum-closes-gallery-in-response-to-protesters">Benin Bronzes</a> from modern-day Nigeria, and the <a href="https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/british-museum-closes-gallery-in-response-to-protesters">Gweagal shield</a> from Australia. </p> <p>In 2018, a group of activists performed a “<a href="https://camd.org.au/stolen-goods-tour-of-bm-protest/">Stolen Goods Tour</a>” of the museum. Participants from across the world gave a different story to what visitors read in the museum’s object labels and catalogues, as the activist tour guides explained their continuing connections with objects in the collection.</p> <p>The tour did not convince the museum to return cultural items, but drew extensive global attention to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/11/nigeria-benin-repatriate-bronzes-smithsonian">ongoing campaigns</a>seeking restitution and repatriation.</p> <h2>In the culture wars</h2> <p>Protests using art and museums aren’t just the domain of the left.</p> <p>In 1969, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Museums-and-Social-Activism-Engaged-Protest/Message/p/book/9780415658539">an arsonist destroyed</a> a display at the National Museum of American History that commemorated Martin Luther King Jr, who had been recently assassinated. The perpetrator was never identified.</p> <p>In 2017, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/18/noose-found-hanging-washington-museum">nooses</a> were left at various museums of the Smithsonian, including The National Museum of African American History and Culture. No groups ever came forward to claim responsibility or express a motive, but the noose is a potent and divisive symbol of segregation and racially motivated violence.</p> <p>In December 2021, doors to the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra were <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-30/act-protesters-set-old-parliament-house-on-fire/100731444">set alight</a> twice by protesters with a number of grievances, including opposition to COVID-19 vaccines.</p> <p>The museum’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-20/multimillion-dollar-repair-bill-for-old-parliament-house-fire/100770268">director said</a> the “assault on the building” would force the museum to rethink its commitment to being “as open as possible, representing all that is good about Australian democracy”, and at the same time keeping it protected.</p> <h2>‘Direct action works’</h2> <p>The past two decades have seen a surge of art-focused demonstrations. </p> <p>In 2019, Decolonize this Place and Goldin’s anti-Sackler coalition met with members of 30 other groups in front of Andy Warhol’s “The Last Supper” (1986) at the Whitney. </p> <p>They were there to celebrate the Tate Museum in London and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, who had announced they would stop taking funding from the Sackler family. One participant cried “<a href="https://hyperallergic.com/491418/decolonize-this-place-nine-weeks-launch/">direct action works!</a>” </p> <p>Even when protests at museums and art achieve less concrete outcomes than this, they remain central tools for building public awareness around political and social issues. </p> <p>It is unlikely actions against museums and art will subside anytime soon.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/soup-on-van-gogh-and-graffiti-on-warhol-climate-activists-follow-the-long-history-of-museums-as-a-site-of-protest-193009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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New artwork appears over existing Banksy art

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A mysterious artwork has appeared on the wall of a house in Bristol that once showcased an original Banksy work before it was vandalised. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The original artwork, which shows a girl firing a slingshot of flowers, appeared on Valentine’s Day in 2020 and was subsequently vandalised. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The destruction of the piece prompted the owners of the house to cover up the ruined work, and encase the untouched flower explosion in a glass case to prevent any further damage. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, a new tag has appeared on the wall that shows a man in a balaclava attempting to pry away the covering with a crowbar.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846891/banksy-bristol.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/78080f293fda4bbfa32b94145cb127e7" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The original artwork appeared on Valentine’s Day 2020. Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the new work being in Banksy’s signature street art style, the work featured a tag of the word “Pouchy”, leaving locals to wonder if the new work is Banksy’s at all, or the work of a copycat artist.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Banksy has yet to claim the piece online. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After the piece was originally vandalised and covered up, Banksy </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">himself released a statement in which he said he was “kind of glad” the artwork was vandalised as he released a series of “better” sketches of it. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram @damianjvcunningham</span></em></p>

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Banksy goes on a mural-making spree in England

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The elusive street artist Banksy has been producing works in secret along the east coast of England.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His latest project, the Great British Spraycation, has seen a series of his murals pop up throughout the country displaying his signature style.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The anonymous artist took to his Instagram to share news of his project, focusing on his travels in a campervan.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CShWMUwFKkI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CShWMUwFKkI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Banksy (@banksy)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first of the murals, featuring a couple dancing on top of a bus shelter and a man playing an accordion, was spotted in Norfolk by eagle-eyed fans.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The second artwork shows an arcade toy-grabber crane that appeared in a small town just 10 minutes away from the first mural. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">More artworks, one depicting a child building a sandcastle with a crowbar, the other featuring three children in a boat, soon arrived in the neighbouring county of Suffolk. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an unusual move for the artist, Banksy also left a miniature thatched stable bearing his signature at the Merrivale Model Village.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His short film posted to Instagram brought attention to his more wholesome artworks, such as an ice cream cone and tongue added to a statue of Frederick Savage, a 19th century mayor of King’s Lynn.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One critical passerby is captured in the video, calling one of his mural’s “mindless vandalism”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of his artworks from the Great British Spraycation, which depicted two children on an inflatable dinghy, has already been removed by local authorities, claiming it was distasteful.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Council members in the town of Great Yarmouth told the BBC that the artwork was covered up amid “sensitivity” to a young girl who died after being flung from an inflatable trampoline on a nearby beach in 2018. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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The offence of graffiti in NSW

<p>A mural depicting a satanic figure hovering over a kneeling, handcuffed <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/george-pell-found-guilty-of-sexual-assault/">George Pell</a> in a prison tracksuit has been removed from privately-owned premises.</p> <p>The mural, <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/mural-of-kneeling-george-pell-in-handcuffs-removed-after-being-deemed-offensive">created by Australian artist Scott Marsh</a>, was painted on property of owned by Wilson Parking – just 50 metres from the entrance of St Mary’s Cathedral College and less than 100 metres from the front door of Mr Pell’s former residence.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0h7SEllgN_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0h7SEllgN_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">#Prey round 2 👿🔥 #vatican #roma #sistinechappel #stpetersbasilica #georgepell #locationlocationlocation #vaticannews #wheninrome</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/scottie.marsh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Scott Marsh</a> (@scottie.marsh) on Jul 29, 2019 at 11:04pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>The complaint</strong></p> <p>A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Sydney confirmed it had contacted Wilson Parking to complain about the mural, and had been assured the company was already in the process of removing it.</p> <p>Wilson Parking said its decision was due to complaints received from members of the public.</p> <p>“We’re not seeking to make any kind of statement, religious or otherwise, but have simply acted upon complaints from members of the public who find the painting offensive,” a the company’s spokesperson told the media.</p> <p><strong>Political art</strong></p> <p>This is not the first time Mr Marsh’s politically-charged artwork has attracted controversy.</p> <p>Nor is the first time he has sought to satirise George Pell, painting two other large scale murals of the disgraced former cardinal.</p> <p>One of those murals, painted behind Botany View Hotel during the same-sex marriage debate, featured Mr Pell with his hand on a wedding-dress clad Tony Abbott’s crotch, captioned with “the happy ending”. That mural was later painted over.</p> <p>When asked about his latest piece, Mr Marsh described it as “holding a mirror up to the hypocrisy of the church.”</p> <p>“This is a global institution that for half a century at a minimum was molesting children and covering it up on an industrial scale,” he remarked. “Thousands of lives ruined in Australia alone.”</p> <p>In March this year, Pell was sentenced to six years in jail for sexually abusing two Choirboys while he was the Catholic archbishop of Melbourne in the 1990s.</p> <p><strong>The offence of graffiti in NSW</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/gca2008179/s4.html">Section 4</a> of the <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/legislation/graffiti-control-act/">Graffiti Control Act 2008</a> (NSW) prescribes a maximum penalty of four penalty units, or $440, for intentionally marking any premises or property without the consent of the occupier or, where the premises is unoccupied, the person in charge.</p> <p>The section makes clear that the offence does not apply to the marking of any public footpath or public pavement with chalk, including, but not limited to, marking out a hopscotch or handball court with chalk.</p> <p>The maximum increases to 12 months in prison and/or a fine of 20 penalty units, or $2,200, where the offence is committed in ‘circumstances of aggravation’ – which means by the use of any ‘graffiti implement’ or in such a manner that the mark is not readily removable by wiping or using water or detergent.</p> <p>A ‘graffiti implement’ is defined as spray paint, a marker pen, or any implement designed or modified to produce a mark that is not readily removable by wiping or by use of water or detergent.</p> <p>‘Spray paint’ includes any liquid or other substance that is designed to stain, mark or corrode and to be applied from a spray can, and includes the spray can.</p> <p><strong>The offence of destroying or damaging property in NSW</strong></p> <p>Posting graffiti can also constitute an offence under <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/criminal/legislation/crimes-act/destroying-or-damaging-property/">section 195 of the Crimes Act 1900</a> (NSW), which prescribes a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for any person who <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/the-law-on-destroying-or-damaging-property-in-new-south-wales/">intentionally or recklessly destroys or damages property</a>belonging to another.</p> <p>Intentionally means wilfully or purposely, while recklessly means foreseeing the possibility of damage or destruction but proceeding regardless.</p> <p><strong>The courts have found that property is considered to have been damaged where:</strong></p> <ul> <li>There is permanent damage,</li> <li>There is temporary functional derangement,</li> <li>There is temporary impairment of usefulness,</li> <li>The physical integrity of the property is altered, and</li> <li>The property is rendered imperfect or inoperative.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Examples of conduct found by the courts to constitute damage include:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Painting graffiti on walls or floors,</li> <li>Placing a blanket in a toilet and flushing,</li> <li>Letting down the tyres of a car,</li> <li>Breaking a raw egg on the windscreen of a car, and</li> <li>Taking a cap from a person’s head and repeatedly stomping on it.</li> </ul> <p>It has been held that temporarily blocking another from accessing property is not enough to establish the offence.</p> <p>The maximum penalty increases to ten years in prison where the offence occurs ‘in company’, which means with another person or persons.</p> <p><em>Written by Ugur Nedim and Zeb Holmes. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/the-offence-of-graffiti-in-new-south-wales/"><em>Sydney Criminal Lawyers.</em></a></p>

Art

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15 cities with unbelievable street art

<p>Graffiti has long been seen by many as simply a criminal eyesore on the face of otherwise clean cities, but in recent years we’ve seen a huge shift towards spectacularly creative, politically-inspired and socially-conscious pieces adorning the streets of international cities thanks to new laws, street art initiatives and better tools.</p> <p>Take a look through the gallery above to see some of the most incredible works of street art in the world.</p> <ol> <li>Melbourne, Australia</li> <li>Barcelona, Spain</li> <li>Paris, France</li> <li>Berlin, Germany</li> <li>Los Angeles, USA</li> <li>Bristol, UK</li> <li>George Town, Malaysia</li> <li>Mexico City, Mexico</li> <li>Prague, Czech Republic</li> <li>Lisbon, Portugal</li> <li>Sao Paulo, Brazil</li> <li>Jerusalem, Israel</li> <li>Hongdae, South Korea</li> <li>Reykjavik, Iceland</li> <li>Montreal, Canada</li> </ol> <p>Tell us in the comments below, how many of these cities have you visited? What are your thoughts when it comes to street art – is it creativity or vandalism?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/art/2016/08/works-of-art-made-with-plants/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Incredible works of art made with only plants</strong></span></em></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/art/2016/08/woman-with-ms-turns-mris-into-art/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Woman diagnosed with MS turns her brain scans into art</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/art/2016/05/artist-creates-fashion-designs-with-food/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Artist creates incredible fashion designs using food</span></em></strong></a></p>

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Discover Melbourne’s reinvented laneways

<p>Melbourne is known as one of the street art capitals of the world - the perfect destination for a "spraycation".</p> <p>Now it is boasting even more vibrant colour after more than 250 artists from all over Australia met to fill the city with fresh art.</p> <p>The inaugural Meeting of Styles Melbourne graffiti and street art festival was held across 20 of the city's iconic laneways, including Croft Alley, Union Lane, Hosier Lane and Flinders Court, as well as the suburbs of Fitzroy and Footscray.</p> <p>Over three days, the laneways were completely repainted by the artists - something never done before in Melbourne.</p> <p>The event was organised by local graffiti artist Duke Grimo and Adrian Doyle, who runs the Melbourne Street Art Tours.</p> <p>Meeting of Styles began 15 years ago in an abandoned slaughterhouse in Wiesbaden, Germany.</p> <p>Originally known as the International Wall Street Meeting, the event attracted thousands of visitors from all over Germany.</p> <p>Over the years, the slaughterhouse evolved into a hall of fame, until 2001 when it was announced it would be converted into a car park.</p> <p>The following year the event was revived and its name changed to Meeting of Styles.</p> <p>Melbourne organisers described the event as an "unmitigated success" and said it would be even bigger and better next year.</p> <p>What do you think of this street art? Can you see the artistic merit, or do you prefer other more conventional forms of art?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram / mosmelbourne</em></p> <p><em>First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/05/melbourne-a-foodies-paradise/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Melbourne: A foodie's paradise</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/travel/international/2016/05/10-free-things-to-do-in-melbourne/"><em><strong>10 free things to do in Melbourne</strong></em></a></span></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/05/the-best-time-to-visit-mount-kosciuszko/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The best time to visit Mount Kosciuszko</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

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Boy blames lipstick graffiti on Batman

<p>According to this little rascal, the caped crusader has turned to a life or crime. Quick-thinking Noel spins his tale so aptly that it’s nearly impossible not to believe him.</p> <p>This adorable video shows his mother, Laura Hopkins, in their home in Inverness, Scotland, asking her little one “Who drew on mummy’s mirror, was it you?”</p> <p>Noel stands in front of the lipstick spoiled mirror and shifts the blame to the first conceivable person he can think of. “Batman. Batman, Batman did it, he says.</p> <p>Hopkins posted the ridiculously cute clip to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theunmumsymum/" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Unmumsy Mum</span></strong></em></a> Facebook group on Friday, with the tongue-in-cheek caption, “If anyone sees Batman can you tell him I’m wanting a word.”</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/dont-praise-clever-kids-and-celebrating-effort/"><em>Why we shouldn’t praise clever kids and start celebrating effort</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/03/things-not-to-say-when-disciplining-kids/"><em>5 things you should not say when disciplining kids</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/03/kids-getting-meaner/"><em>Are our kids getting meaner?</em></a></strong></span></p>

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