Underland - Hindsight

After reading Lauren talking about apologies for belated blogs, I definitely should be doing penance! In many ways it was not knowing what the words were as the Underland project had an unexpected end result. The AURA residency and the Underland project which emerged out of it in collaboration with Laine Hogarty and the Estate community was a vast experience.

I am including here a letter I wrote to Laine for inclusion in a discussion of the AURA project, regarding the destruction of the Underland project, soon after it was installed.

Hi Laine,

Hope this reaches you in time.

I have been giving life and art some thought lately, living in the Middle East surrounded by the Arab Spring, meeting people who have escaped strife torn Syria who may never be able to return home and contemplating the merits of a visit to Egypt. I can easily imagine where the next influx of refugees seeking safety in Australia are coming from and that they may also need to be supported by access to public housing. Basically I welcome  unimportant art, it doesn’t maim or kill or make people homeless, instead art at it’s ideal gets people communicating people or is ignored at it’s worst.

From my point of view - what I saw and experienced as an artist in residence in the housing estate were the talents and generosity of the adults and children on the estate. I really enjoyed working together with a large group of disparate people to create an environment for the community to explore. The effect of art on the estate I think is subtle and long term, and the word ‘important’ always begs the question  - to whom and why? Is it important in terms of the community’s physical and mental health? Or to build community understanding? What is the cost versus benefit? To provide new skills or reveal existing talents which may lead to increased self-confidence and pathways to education or employment? To offset the often negative portrayal of housing estates in the mainstream media? To provide evidence when attempting to obtain the next short term round of funding? To impress local, state and federal politicians?  A lot is expected of art nowadays...

So as an artist, who doesn’t live in the estate, and of course declaring my self-interest, reply to the question - Art on The Estate – is art really an important part of life on a housing estate? by saying that art is part of life, no more or no less important than any other part of life. As an artist all I can do is open myself up to people, respond, listen, question my motivations and follow the maxim – do no harm.

What is troubling as an artist becoming involved in the life of the housing estate is the forming of relationships within the community during a short time frame which can feel very cut off once the project is completed, this is probably emphasised by having to return overseas on my part. In terms of the official life of the housing estate, as an artist, negotiating an unfamiliar environment and culture at times I certainly felt unimportant or unwanted, simply due to services and staff resources being overstretched.

The destruction of the ‘Underland’ installation by some of the children, and the subsequent unresolved aftermath, a community mediation process which did not happen. does in many ways reflect the larger issues occurring on the housing estate. As the work was created in collaboration with the community it felt like the community was attacking itself. That being said there is certainly an undeniable thrill gained from destroying things, especially as children when it may be the only way to express frustrations and feel that you have an effect in your environment. That’s where programs like the planned boxing can be ideal for chanelling that impulse.

In many ways I feel like the ‘Underland’ installation became a real reflection of life on the housing estate. It was fragile and beautiful, a nebulous uneasy balance, easily destroyed. But when it all comes together as it did at the launch event I can still feel the warm glow of gentleness it generated in my chest. In many ways linking the words art and important together make me uncomfortable, as an artist I’m much more at home feeling unimportant, it gives me the freedom to slip beneath the radar, take risks and talk to people,  follow the unexpected, improvise and surprise.

Regards,

Michal