The Latest Fence Installation: Prayer Flags

This flag installer doesn't look like the leader, more like a clown who was walking by and decided to get in on the action.

THE MANIFESTO

The clothes strips on the Esplanade Hotel site fence are prayer flags and have been attached to reflect on the original meanings of both Easter and Anzac Day and to bless the site and its future. The flags have a spiritual context and following completion of the installation words were spoken over the flags. Spokesmen for the group who attached the flags said any attempt to remove them would be considered “offensive and insulting.”

“Our group is responsible solely for the flags and any other attachments are the work of other, unaffiliated groups or individuals,” said the spokesmen. “Whether we agree with the perceived sentiments in other attachments, or not, we believe in the democratic spirit and all segments within the community to express themselves in a public forum.

“Given the fence has become a permanent fixture in the town and that many in the community have embraced it as a public forum it is up to the city’s leadership group to acknowledge this fact and allow continued expressions.”

Spokesmen said that China had allowed the residents of Hong Kong freedom of expression and that maybe the fence should be declared Albany’s “Hong Kong”.

On the fence for a very short time

Was it pinched, or removed by council workers in response to an order?

Albany Advertiser March, 2011 - Kerri Slaven cartoon

Albany Advertiser 24/3/2011, cartoon by Kerri Slaven

ALBANY CITY INVADED BY WHITE ELEPHANTS

A Statement from the White Elephant Brigade

The White Elephant Brigade takes full responsibility for the profusion of White Elephants that appeared in and around the Albany CBD on the morning of April 1, 2011.

A spokesperson for the brigade said: “This group distributed the artistically and culturally sensitive elephants to a range of locations.”

“On the said night a brakeage did occur at a location containing items of high cultural value, namely the city library. The Brigade condemns such action and if the perpetrator became known to this group this group would inform the appropriate local authorities.

“The White Elephant Brigade is a loose group of intelligent artists and professionals intent on undertaking action for non-specific purposes but always with the aim of stimulating, causing questions and not to damage, deface, or in any way alter public facilities or facilities commonly accepted as party to a public issue.

“It is not the intention of Brigade members to inform the receiver of the visual installation what the installation means. This is insulting, demeaning and culturally offensive in a vibrant democratic society and against the articles of the Brigade.”

The Brigade spokesperson said viewers of the white elephants might want to ask themselves the following questions:

Are the elephants of a high visual quality?

Is there any evidence to suggest they relate to the Albany Entertainment Centre?

Are they in response to the content of an ABC Stateline program broadcast on Friday March 25, 2011?

Does the white elephant relate to a “rare, expensive possession that is a financial burden to maintain”, or rather, a “rare exotic creature that is endangered and must be preserved at all cost”?

Does the specific date April 1 have any history, any meaning and could it have influenced the elephant distribution?

The White Elephant Brigade (WEB) wants to make it quite clear that it is in no way associated with the Urban Sock Bombers Collective (USB).

A spokesperson for the Brigade said: “Some of our group had been members of the USB but left on consideration that the USB lacked strong leadership and had lost its way in the mire of urban politics.”

Some old items newly scanned

Recently my scanner decided it would no longer work.

Here are some items I would have scanned sooner, had my scanner worked.

These items were scanned with my new scanner.

(You know how hard it is to find a simple scanner in a shop? No-one wants one any more. What they want is a massive 16-jobs-in-one-huge-thing scanner thing. I found one, tucked away on a back shelf. The attended was embarrassed to sell it to me.)

BIKES:

SOCKS: