What is Art?

Art in Odd Places (AiOP) is an arts project exploring public space. The project was founded by New York artist Ed Woodham.

AiOP wants to bob up in unexpected public spaces, to remind us that public spaces function as “the epicenter for diverse social interactions and the unfettered exchange of ideas”.

This year before the annual NYC festival in October, Art in Odd Places travelled to Australia to bob up in two festivals on the beaches near Sydney: Dee Why Beach and The Corso at Manly.  Dee Why is a very genteel out-of-the-way well-to-do laid-back suburban community beach, Manly is more of a bustling tourist magnet.

The photo above shows artist Terry Hardy presenting his work “One for all / All for one” . What happens, he asked, if a protest is organised with the protester carrying a blank sign, no slogan on the T-shirt, and quietly shouting -- silence.

He attempts , with this project, “to give voice to those around the world who have been silenced”.

Is this art? Is it art if passers-by don't recognise the lone man standing there with a piece of blank cardboard, is art? Do they even register his existence, or the message he wants to not-give. Beach goers just want to go on about their hedonistic indulgence in the sun. Eaters at the restaurants across the road don't stop chewing to consider the message they can't see. Drivers in the traffic are too fixed on the messages in their mobile phones.

There's an ephemeral, transient foundation in projects like this, here today, gone this evening.

As an added bonus to the non-message, Terry is alone. No crowd of fellow silent stationary mimes to support him.

The theme for this exposition by AiOP is “Numbers”. Terry's project is number one. I couldn't help thinking a group of buskers, singing the Three Dog Night song “One is the loneliest number” might have helped passers-by pay a bit of attention to this work. But then, it wouldn't be art, would it?